Thief's knowledge
by gammastre
Summary: Yugi Muto is neglected after the return of Yami, and Yami Bakura just happens to be trying to steal the puzzle. This leads to Yugi becoming Bakura’s “apprentice”. Romance in later chappies. R&R please?
1. Chapter 1

My first fanfic! K, so this is completely Kleptoshipping, and I'm trying to keep it as in-character as possible or as believably ooc as possible. I'll try not to make this very similar to the other fanfics that this idea is based off of.

Summary: Yugi Muto is neglected after the return of Yami, and Yami Bakura (Bakura) just happens to be trying to steal the puzzle. This leads to Yugi becoming Bakura's "apprentice".

"…": Yami-Yugi mindlink

/…/: Bakura- Ryou mindlink

Japanese names used

Chapter 1

POV Yugi

At first, I was just being overlooked. Then I was being ignored. I thought, sure, Yami just came back from the afterlife. He needs some time with real, live, people to adjust. Everything will be just fine and dandy in a few weeks. But no, Anzu was the first to completely ditch me. It was clearly obvious that she was very attracted to Yami, but it was merely an infatuation and crush. After Yami came back, she became a leech. Latching on to his arm, clinging to his clothes, and worst of all, attempting to kiss (!!!) him. And Yami never noticed! He merely thought that was the way she acted, since of course, she never acted otherwise with him around. Next to go was Jonouchi. Even though we were the best of friends, and I mean literally, he began to follow Yami around. Just like the mutt Kaiba always claimed him to be. (Ooops, maybe I'm hanging around him too much. He must really be influencing me.) Then Jonouchi began to physically push me aside. The first time, I was so surprised I fell sideways and hit my head against a locker. I mean, the last time he pushed me was 3 years ago! The last time I ever got bullied! My resistance obviously went ka-put. Guess who turned on me next? No? Well it was Tristan. We weren't as close as Jonouchi and I, but still. Who headbutts the person that saved them from the worst beating they'd ever receive? His hairstyle must have been influencing his choice of attack. He charged me like a rhino. A great, big, hulking, clumsy, dumb, rhino. After that little episode, I finally smartened and left my "friends" for better people, aka Ryou, Malik, and Kaiba. Actually, I should say Seto, since I have his permission and am his "friend". Yami didn't even really socialize with me. He was bent on exploring the world, experiencing life, and generally doing it all without his _aibou_. He was truly the last to go. This makes sense because I did host him for 3 years. If he had left first, I probably would have blown my top much earlier. But back to Yami.

Yami was completely oblivious. Even though I'd come home with bruises, he'd just ask if I was alright, and of course, I'd lie and say I fell down the stairs or something. And the worst thing was that he believed me! Me, the innocent, guileless, no good at lying, guy. The "kid" that couldn't lie to save his or anyone's life. And after his little questioning, he'd just leave with a backwards "I'm going to meet up with so-and-so, see you later." No enthusiasm whatsoever. The most distracted I've ever heard him. I let this go on for months before I finally snapped. My cheery demeanor stayed "cheery" and forced, and nobody but my real friends noticed.

Ryou was the first to sympathize. He was never part of our group because of Bakura. In short, we were both in the same boat. We began to hang out and eventually became friends. It's quite surprising, really, because he's so shy and I'm so hyperactive. We never went anywhere that had a chance of meeting up with the posse, but when we occasionally ran into them, we'd have to suffer awkward silences or insults. They were even cruel to Ryou, the sweetest and most gentle boy that did nothing to them. Kaiba, surprisingly, came next. We just began running into each other, and since my little posse was completely gone, he'd have no option but to either ignore me or glare at me. After the first few encounters with freezing shoulders, the glares came. I was thankful for some sort of acknowledgement, even though Kaiba didn't know my predicament. Perhaps a month later, he finally noticed my lack of posse and questioned me about it. Appearing dissatisfied, annoyed, and uncaring, we parted ways. He really did care, though, since we gradually became acquaintances, and finally "friends". Oh yes, the god-awful F word. Not even Ra would be able to save me if he caught me saying that. Malik somehow appeared, and since he was new, I was alone, mostly, and nobody else was paying attention, we were drawn together. Two pathetic loners who everyone gave up on and abandoned. And so my new circle of friends came to be, until Bakura had to go and ruin my illusion of normality.

I had just arrived back at the Kame Game Shop, and Yami was in his bedroom. Grandpa was still managing the shop, so I just called a quick greeting to him and headed up the stairs. It had been three months since I left the original group. Three entire months since I'd been in Yami's room. Seeing as Yami was in the bathroom, I decided to snoop. Ryou was a little bit of a kleptomaniac (must come from associating with Bakura), and it was rubbing off on me. So I sneakily entered into Yami's room with intentions to make off with something, and who do I find? Bakura! Trying to take off with the puzzle again. When he spotted me, he was so surprised he actually froze for two seconds. Either I had been very sneaky, or he had just been too preoccupied. After recovering from shock, he was all action, trying to rush out the window and escape with the puzzle, all the while expecting me to sound the alarm or attempt to stop him. When I merely stood there, he turned around, halfway out the window, puzzled. "Why aren't you trying to stop me from stealing your oh-so-precious Puzzle?" he asked.

"Pfft," I snorted. "Precious, Puzzle? Where've you been for the past 3 months. Take the Puzzle for all I care. Break it, even! Maybe it'll get rid of _Yami_." Wow, I sounded bitter. Hn, comes from being ignored, I guess. Suddenly, I found myself on flat out on the ground with Bakura on top.

"Who is this awful Yugi-imposter????" he growled.

"This _is_ Yugi, Tomb Robber. Now get off me. Do you want Yami to come back and see this?"

"Who cares about the stupid Phar…ahh, good point," he concedes and promptly begins dragging me out the window. After we finally clambered out and ran a safe distance away, he turns to me and snaps, "I want answers. NOW."

"Sure, sure, whatever," I reply. He looks a little miffed at my nonchalance.

"Ok, first, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO 'Hey, give me back the Puzzle!' and the fear? Where's my respect, huh? What happened in the past 3 months, and why'd you let me take the Puzzle?"

"Stupid Pharaoh and my 'friends' are no longer my friends. They may merely be considered vague acquaintances, Seto-speak. I have nothing to fear from you, since I'm not in your way. In the past 3 months, I've been ignored and beat up by my friends. And you don't even have the Puzzle," I state, dangling the hunk of gold in front of him.

"Hey! How'd you get that? Give it BACK!!" he exclaimed.

"Simple, really. You were distracted enough during your little rant to not even notice the missing weight from your pants," I point out smugly. "No, I'm not giving it back. King of Thieves can't even steal a stupid, flashy, big, golden Puzzle, huh? Can't even notice when someone is stealing from him. My, my, you're getting cocky, 'Kura."

"Don't you DARE call me that you chibi _KID_. And it isn't my fault you're always in the way of me getting a hold of that Puzzle!" he snapped. /Host. I _forbid _you from seeing Yugi./

/Huh? Why?/

/Because I _said_ so. Don't you dare go against me. You'll not like what'll be coming for you./

/…/

/Well?/

/Errr, how long? He **is** one of my only friends./

/**Forever!!** Or until I say you can!/ and abruptly cut off the mindlink.

"Bakura," I said, "I'm going home now. Come over if you like! Maybe we can play a game or something *winkwink*," promptly turning around and heading back.

"What! You can't just turn around and leave! Gahh!! What am I going to do now?!" he spluttered. Stupid light of that blasted Pharaoh.

/What was that?/

/Nothing! Now shutup and leave me alone./

POV Bakura

How could he, the mighty Thief King and Tomb Robber, get stolen from by the Pharaoh's pathetic light?? It was unthinkable! That little teen was brimming with innocence. There was absolutely no way he could have learned to sneak around and make use of distractions. Maybe Marik is experimenting with some mind control. I'll go ask Marik was a problem, though. He wasn't at home for obvious reasons, and there was no way of contacting him. Hmm maybe he's at the pier. After all, that's where he was almost successful.

When I finally arrived at the docks, I was awarded with the sight of him, wild, spiky hair soaring over his head and majestic cloak waving in the slight breeze. I silently strolled over to him, intent on scaring him, but he saw my reflection (damn water!) and whirled around right when I was about to jump him. This resulted in my being caught off guard and nearly toppling into the water. Gah, maybe I am becoming senile.

"May I help you, Tomb Robber?" he inquired. His façade did not go unnoticed, however. The crazy psychotic freak was incapable of even sounding genial.

"What did you do to Yugi," I demanded. No point in playing nice, since it would be an invitation to him.

"Why 'Kura, I didn't know you cared so much about Yugi! I would _never_ harm poor little Yug'. It would absolutely _devastate_ you, wouldn't it," he replied. His face was beginning to stretch into its characteristic mask of insanity.

"You know what I'm talking about. He's becoming mischievous and a kleptomaniac! His eyes turn dark purple now, and he always sounds bitter." I make sure not to reveal my sources. One hint at what happened and I'd be the laughingstock for eternity!

"Dear, dear, 'Kura, I already told you. I have done nothing to your precious light. I'd suggest you go and find out on your own."

"….never mind," I mutter darkly. I run back to the game shop in time to see Yami leaving with the posse. Where was Yugi? Walking out of the shadows, I confront the group. Never have I had so much pleasure in watching the fear grow in their eyes and their fidgets that betray their uncomfortableness with my glare.

"What do you want, Thief," Yami demanded. "You'll not get the Puzzle. Yugi's guarding it back in his room."

"Ah-ha! Never mind. I've gotten what I've come for. Later!" I cackle maniacally and walk away. Turning at the cross streets, I quickly dart into an alley when I've left their vision. No need to announce my destination to those bakas.

POV Yami

What the hell? He's acting abnormal, well, weirder than his normal weird. He said he already had what he came for after I spoke. Maybe he managed to pilfer off something of ours while he walked past? I pat down my pockets, making sure my phone and wallet are still there. "Hey guys? Are you missing anything?" A chorus of no's quickly follow the pat downs. Huh. Maybe the Tomb Robber is losing his touch.

"Come on!" Anzu whined, tugging my arm. "You promised we'd go shopping. Don't worry about that idiot. You get the hang out with us, your buddies!" She then proceeded to march off towards the mall with my arm. My arm was nearly ripped out of its socket by the time I noticed what was happening.

"Kiyouch! Anzu, I need my arm back!" I exclaim. She immediately stopped for me to catch up. When I finally got to my arm, she latched onto my arm and gingerly showed me the door. Meanwhile, Honda, Jonouchi, and Otogi headed off to the new Kaiba Corp. store to check out the new holographic tech. Anzu dragged me to every single girly store and forced me to comment on her clothing. I generally wouldn't mind, but the encounter with the Tomb Robber had fazed me a bit. Anzu, oblivious to my inner turmoil, continued shopping for the next 5 hours. We met up with Honda, Jonouchi, and Otogi for lunch then split again. Anzu told them we'd see them tomorrow, and took me to the park. It was really beautiful that afternoon. We hung out for a few hours before heading back to the game shop. Night had already set in when we arrived. I bid Anzu farewell and dodged her goodnight kiss.

After climbing up the stairs, I was relieved to see my room. Before entering, I noticed that Yugi's light was still on. Deciding to talk to him, I knocked on the door. Instead of the expected 'come in', he told me to wait a minute. Okay, now that was odd. Yugi never told me to wait for him to open the door. From outside, I could hear some muffled scraping and scuffling. Hn, I wonder what that was? Yugi finally told me I could come in after 2 min. 48 sec. Upon opening the door, I was greeted with the sight of a flustered face and messy room. The closet door also seemed to be a little skew. Yugi's face was slightly red, and he seemed to have a racing heartbeat. His beautiful amethyst eyes gazed expectantly at me. When I didn't say anything for a minute, he finally became impatient and asked me what I wanted. "Nothing," I said. "I just wanted to wish you a good night."

"Oh," he replied, sounding disappointed.

Not sure if I actually heard disappointment, I ignored it and went over to hug him. "Goodnight, aibou." I proceeded to plant a kiss on his forehead and leave. Never had I ever been so exhausted. After getting ready for bed, I flopped onto my comfy mattress and fell asleep.

POV Yugi

Whew, that was close. Knocking on the closet door to let Bakura know it was safe to come out, I went back and sat on my bed. Bakura cautiously climbed out of the closet. "I'm so glad you came over!" I whisper excitedly. "What do you want to do?"

"Why don't we go on the roof?" he suggests.

Wow, an actual suggestion? Something must be wrong. "Sure," I comply. We quietly opened the skylight and climbed onto the roof. The night was cloudy, and the moon veiled, so the environment had a curious gray shade. After situating ourselves into comfortable positions, I turn to look at Bakura. "So what do you want to do?" I ask.

"I see what you mean," he cryptically replied.

"Huh?" I was so confused. What did I mean?

"About the Pharaoh, baka."

"Oh," was my response. There really was no response adequate for that kind of statement. It spoke volumes to know that someone could truly understand my situation. Sure, Ryou and Malik could sympathize, but none could truly empathize.

"I also wanted to give you this card…"he started. Where'd it go? He just had it on him.

"Oh, you mean this one?" I ask, waving around a Joker.

"What? How? When?" he spluttered.

"Umm just now. You had it in your back pocket, and when you turned to look for it, I just picked it up," I sheepishly explained.

"What the hell," he growled. This was not going as planned. "Dang, you are one very talented pickpocket, Yugi," he complimented as sincerely as he could. This could still turn in his favor.

"Really? Wow, coming from the King of Thieves, that really means a lot!" I exclaimed. I'd really only been practicing for a few days. Ryou was such a great teacher. Hands-on experience for the win.

"How would you like to train under me? You can be my official apprentice." Oh, how he love manipulating people. There was so much satisfaction in seeing Yugi's eyes light up like fireworks. The hug was very unexpected though. It nearly sent both of them rolling off the roof.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, 'Kura!! You have no idea how much this means to me!" The excitement was threatening to explode from me. After sitting on the roof for a few more minutes, Bakura suddenly interrupted the silence.

Gruffly, he said, "I'd better head home and get more sleep. Be ready at 5 AM sharp. We can get 2 hours of training in before school, then test out your skills during your time at that Ra-forsaken building." He nimbly jumped off the room and ran off.

I stared at him until he disappeared before entering my room. Getting ready for bed in record time, I sunk into bed to get the most sleep possible.

TBC

Was this OK? Please R&R about the general story, plot, and writing! I'm open to constructive criticism. Ideas would be nice if you want me to incorporate something!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the wonderful and quick reviews! I didn't realize how many people would read my story in the first few hours after posting! Quick note, Jonouchi's name is spelled incorrectly in the first chapter. It should be Jounouchi.

purplepup17-I'm not sure how or if I'll be able to incorporate a jealous Yami. I'll try though :P

Bakura's Guardian Angel- I actually wasn't planning on dragging any romance stuff out for a few chapters. I'll add a little something this chapter for you though

Heh, I've never thought of myself as funny.

Chapter 2

POV Yugi

My alarm went off promptly at 4:30 AM, just as the pale rays of light began to appear in the sky. It was quite impossible to get a good night's sleep, seeing as I went to bed sometime around midnight. My rest wasn't even peaceful because I continuously woke up to check the time. Groaning, I rolled out of bed and lightly stood up. Not wanting to wake up Yami, I skipped my morning routine and just changed into a pair of black skinny jeans and tight leather sleeve-less top. The joker went into my pocket, and I climbed out of the skylight and hopped down to the pavement. Just as I hit the ground, I realized that Bakura hadn't told me where to meet. Deciding to wait for Bakura to come to me, I scoped out the neighborhood. It was funny how I never really noticed my surroundings.

The house right across from me was one example. It had shabby windows, peeling paint, and a general abandoned house feeling. Except for the fact that it had the highest tech security around the perimeter, it would have been an easy target. Wait, since when was there personal security in the neighborhood? Curious, and since Bakura had failed to show up, I stealthily sneaked over and hid in a nearby tree. Before I could even begin to get comfortable, a sleek, silver limo pulled up, and the passenger got out. It was Pegasus! What in Ra's name was he doing in my neighborhood? Oh please, Ra, don't let him move in! God, anyone? Please, please please please! My prayers were too late. The chauffeur popped open the trunk and pulled out massive suitcases. Pegasus himself, just held a wineglass half-filled with red wine. He had on a beautiful gold Rolex, and in the minute interlude when he was giving his chauffeur instructions, I decided to try and take it. After all, Bakura hadn't shown up and it was almost time to head off to school. Deciding how to approach this, I slithered down the tree and went over to Pegasus to "welcome him to the neighborhood". With false cheer and excitement, I exclaimed, "Wow, Pegasus. What a surprise! Welcome to the neighborhood! It's not everyday a millionaire businessman moves right across the street!"

"Dear Yugi-boy," he replied, "I had **no** idea you lived here. It is **such** a pleasant surprise to see you. Would you care to come in for a bit? You'll be the only one to see the initial _and_ final state of my home! (I'm renovating this entire week)."

Yes! Just what I wanted to hear. "That'd be great, Pegasus-kun!" I exclaimed. Pegasus turned around to lead me in, and as I began to make my way forward, I "accidentally" tripped on the raised crosswalk and fell onto Pegasus. He had half-turned when he heard my scuffle, and the result of this caused his wine to splash all over both of our clothes. We both fell to the ground; Pegasus's back making a WOOMPH. While he was distracted with getting up and staring at his ruined clothes, I simply helped him stand up, also helping myself to the bling. "Oh my gosh, I'm soo sorry Pegasus-kun. Please forgive me for the incident and also the need to decline your invitation. It's time to head to school, and I need to change first! Maybe I could come after school?"

Waving away my apologies, he said, "Don't worry about it Yugi-boy. I'll see you after school then. Ta-ta!"

I had to sprint back home, break a record speed-dressing, then sprint all the way to school just as the first bell was ringing. Malik was waiting for me at the entrance and wanted to come with me to my locker, but I waved away their company, not wanting them to be late. I wonder why Ryou wasn't there? After protestations, he finally conceded and headed to homeroom. Dashing to my locker, I didn't even notice a presence until I ran into him full on. "Bakura! What are you doing here? Move! I need to get my stuff and get into homeroom before I'm late!"

"Hmph," he snorted. "Do you know how aggravating it is to get my ass all the way over to your little game shop and wait for TWO WHOLE FUCKING HOURS??! And while I was waiting, I just happened to see you mooching up to Pegasus across the street! Do you want to be my apprentice or not? If so, you'd better get your act together. At this rate, you won't learn anything!"

"Geez, Bakura. I was up and about in front of the shop promptly at 5, and you weren't even there," I countered.

"Maybe because you just weren't paying attention. Did you maybe think that _**was**_ your first lesson? No? Didn't think so. You just flunked your apprenticeship in your first _second_."

"Oh…well….ummm is this enough compensation?" I asked, holding out the Rolex that was in my pocket.

Bakura was beginning to look a little flustered. "Where the hell did you get that?" he sputtered.

"Off of Pegasus, baka. You really think me low enough to actually genuinely and cordially have a chat with the guy who stole Grandpa's soul????"

"Well how was I supposed to know? It looked like you tackled Pegasus in a hug!" he exclaimed. "This will be perfect compensation, by the way. Looks like you've pretty much perfected your pick-pocketing skills. We're going to have to work on your nonexistent awareness skills first. I want you to go spy on random groups of students all during the day without being seen. No hiding in miniscule spots, either. You are only allowed to hide in the shadows. Nothing more. Got it?"

"Yes, _master_ Bakura," I replied sarcastically. "Now may I please get to my locker? I'm already late for homeroom." The bell had rung during our argument, and it looked like passing period was coming up. Sighing, I exchanged my materials and trudged back to class. I cautiously peeked in the window to find a rowdy classroom with no teacher! Since the door was already open, I decided to see if I could walk in unnoticed by everyone. Somehow, I managed to squeeze my short stature down to the size of the door's shadow, and I silently glided in. My classmates must've been super distracted since I made it to my desk with no glances. I highly doubt my nonexistent (as Bakura would say) sneaking skills would have allowed me to enter otherwise. Right when I sat down, the teacher came in. He yelled at all of the other students for not doing the work written on the board and commended me for working, even though I just had a notebook open and a pencil on my desk.

When he brought up my presence, everyone swiveled their heads and gaped at me. Maybe they did notice my absence. Ryou and Malik especially, since they never saw me come in. Shrinking in my chair, I meekly asked, "What?" Ryou and Malik were knowledgeable enough to know to wait until lunch before asking, but Miho just announced that I had not been class for the last half hour. When asked, I lied, saying I had been dutifully doing the work, knowing that not being in class would result in a detention. The teacher came over to my desk to check my work, and I surprised everyone, including me, when I held out a completed worksheet. After the teacher turned to continue on with class, I just ignored him and stared blankly at the paper in front of me. Where had it come from, who had done it, and why? I had a sneaking suspicion that maybe one of my friends slipped me the completed problems, but who? I contemplated this quandary until the bell rang. After waiting for everyone to leave, I packed up my stuff and started heading to my next class. Right before I made it out of the classroom, I thought I felt hot breath whispering into my ear congratulating me, but when I turned around, the classroom was empty. Deciding my imagination was a little hyperactive today, I continued on my way to my next class. I decided to try the same technique to enter History, and even though I entered right before the bell rang, nobody noticed! This process repeated until lunchtime rolled around.

When I got back to my locker, I saw Malik waiting for me. There was also a group of preps gossiping next door. While I got my lunch and chattered with Malik, I eavesdropped on their conversation. It was nothing special, but I did glean the bit about my entrance. Apparently, someone had started a rumor that I was a stalker, and that was why I was able to move around unseen. That was a bizarre conclusion. A ghost or thief would have been more plausible.

We headed over to our usual lunch spot, chatting and eavesdropping all the while. After we settled down, I asked Malik where Ryou was. He replied, saying Bakura had forbidden Ryou's association with me. Bakura was going to get a good talking-to. There was no way he could forbid Ryou from hanging out with me. Now that we had some sort of understanding, he'd be seeing a lot more of me, so therefore Ryou ought to have the same chance.

"What took you so long to get back to class? And how the hell did you appear in your seat just as the teacher came in? I didn't even see you enter, and I'd been watching the door warily!" Malik said.

I opened my mouth to answer saying I had met up with Bakura, but I realized that he probably wouldn't approve. Yes, Malik's approval meant enough to me to make me lie. Instead, I simply said I couldn't get my locker open and needed to use the restroom. I widened my eyes to try and make myself look a little more innocent, and the effect was instantaneous. After hearing my lie, Malik had looked a bit suspicious, but right after my eyes widened, the acceptance was written all over his face. God, I'm even getting better at lying. We finish the rest of lunch period with lots of chatter about mundane things. As we split for afternoon classes, I thought I saw a tail of white hair flashing around a corner. The afternoon classes followed the same pattern as the morning classes. When the last bell finally rang, I waited the customary two minutes and raced outside. Malik was already there.

Mulling over Bakura, I distractedly asked Malik if he'd want to come with me to Pegasus's place.

"Sure!" he replied. "I'll make sure he doesn't try to molest you or anything. Why are you going over there anyway?"

"He just moved into the house across from mine," I replied. We had just arrived when a bloodcurdling scream erupted from inside. I dashed through the gates and pass the security guards, turning my head for a fraction of a second to make sure Malik was following. When I crossed the threshold, the sight stopped me in my tracks in seconds. Malik, not noticing that I had stopped, ran me over, and we both tumbled to the ground. Getting up and dusting myself off, I stared in awe at the foyer.

The ceiling was 13 feet high and domed at the top, and there was a huge glass chandelier with real candles. The windows that covered the right wall and "front" wall (the wall with the entrance door) allowed the rich sunlight to come in, hitting the glass chandelier and throwing rainbows all over the room. Dark mahogany paneling on the walls complemented the maple flooring. Candle sconces were placed evenly around the room. A full grand Blüthner piano sat in the left hand corner stage, the light color contrasting with the surroundings. The stage also had 3 stands set up in piano quartet style. Three paintings adorned the space above the stage: two slightly smaller paintings with a large painting in the middle. A huge, long, empty buffet table with polished white tablecloths hugged the right wall. In the center of the room were three couches, placed in a U fashion, mainly facing towards the stage. There were two doors that led out the room, one on the back wall and one on the left wall. The sight was absolutely breathtaking. Some of the dust sparkled in afternoon light, giving the sight a slightly surreal and mysterious look.

"Wow," I breathed. The scream was all but forgotten as I took in the sight. As I gaped like a fish, Malik nudged me in the ribs, trying to get my attention.

"C'mon," he said. "Let's go see who screamed. Once we find Pegasus, I'm sure he'll give you a grand tour and be delighted with your reaction."

That snapped me out of my daze. With renewed determination, I chose the door on the left. It led to an expansive kitchen with all the latest tech and appliances. What really caught our eyes was the scene on the floor. Pegasus was rolling around the floor on top of his chauffeur. It appeared to be a sparring session, and Pegasus was winning [1]. The real eye catcher was Pegasus's clothing. He wasn't in one of his customary suits. Instead, he was wearing a loose-fitting white kimono with redish pink sakura flowers and a red belt. Upon noticing us, Pegasus immediately froze. Trying to collect as much dignity as possible, he crawled off the chauffeur and picked himself up.

"Hello, Yugi-boy. I see you made it after all. And you've invited a friend. Might I inquire as to who this is?" he cordially said.

"This is Malik. Of course I came! I've never seen renovations happen so quickly and quietly. Just the foyer alone looks magnificent!" I exclaimed.

"The foyer? That's nothing, compared with what the rest of the house will look like upon completion. Come Yugi-boy, Malik, I'll give you the grand tour of the old house."

The rest of the house was just as shabby as the outside. Apparently, only the foyer and kitchen were completed during the school day. The workers were in the master bedroom, rushing to complete the room and bathroom so that they could go home. The house was surprisingly large, consisting of a kitchen, foyer, a bathroom and an office downstairs, a master bedroom and bath, two guest rooms with connecting bathrooms and a game room upstairs, and an attic. When the tour was finally complete, the sun was already beginning to set. I had to go home to do homework and eat dinner, so I said farewell to Malik and Pegasus and headed home.

Right as I was about to enter the game shop, I felt eyes looking at me from some nearby bushes. Remembering what Bakura said, I pretended to enter the game shop but instead quickly dashed around the corner out of the bush's line of sight. I made my way around the game shop to come up behind the bushes, and lo and behold, Bakura was sitting there! I snuck up to him and quietly said, "BOO," in his ear. He whipped around with very stunned expression. Unfortunately, my face was still right next to his, and his lips collided with mine. I froze, of course. Not much else I could have done, really. My eyes also widened considerably. After two seconds, I finally regained my senses and shoved him as hard as I could.

Bakura smirked, "Well **that** was a pleasant surprise. You enjoyed it all the same, didn't you."

"What?!" I yelped. "What the heck was that for? Although the look on your face was worth it." My smug reply must have shaken Bakura a bit because he didn't answer for a little bit. "So how'd I do? I snuck up on you, eavesdropped on groups, and snuck into class multiple times. I also managed to lie to Malik and get away with it!"

"You were fine," Bakura conceded. There's no way I'm going to tell him he's the best I've ever met and a natural, he thought. "I'll see you tomorrow morning at 5, got it?"

"Sure, sure, 'Kura. Oh, you'd better let me hang out with Ryou again. Later!" I finally headed into the game shop. When I chanced a glance at the clock, I was surprised to find it already 6 PM! Wow, I just made it in time for dinner. "Hey Gramps? I'll be right down. I just need to put some things up in my room. There's no need to wait for me to start dinner."

Grandpa didn't acknowledge me, but that was to be expected. After all, Yami was basically my replacement. I made my way up the stairs and to my room. "Yami?" I called. "Are you busy tomorrow?"

As he came to my door, he answered, "Aside from school, I'm going to watch Anzu dance. Why, aibou?"

At hearing that nickname, I barely suppressed a flinch. "I was wondering if you wanted come with me to the arcade tomorrow after school?"

"Sorry, but I won't get home until much later. Maybe next time. Let's go eat dinner," he said, turning around and heading downstairs.

I don't even know why I bother anymore. It's quite obvious that he doesn't have any time for me. He's always busy hanging out with _his_ friends. Feeling a little depressed, I followed Yami down to the dining table. During dinner, Yami and Grandpa chattered while I distractedly ate. I mused about Bakura. He was truly a conundrum. I wonder if he has an ulterior motive, or if he is actually sincere about my training? He doesn't actually seem to be teaching me anything. More like just telling me to do something and giving me rules that I'm not allowed to break while figuring out how to accomplish the task. I continued examining the poser until Grandpa interrupted my train of thought. When I first hear him address me, I waved it off, thinking I was just hearing things. After all, he hadn't said a single word to me all day. He repeated my name. At this, I looked up.

[1]-imagine a scene similar to this one in an original pink panther movie

Sorry for the lateness! I was planning on updating a few days after the first chapter, but I couldn't get this chapter to move anywhere! This chapter was mainly background stuff, but it's so you'll know sort of a daily routine. Mmm I'm not actually sure where Pegasus came from. Any ideas? Umm do you guys want me to use more other character POVs? This was almost entirely Yugi.

Ahh bad chapter ending! What to do with Malik and Ryou?? Sorry for grammar and other such mistakes, but I'm too lazy to proofread it T___T Was this chapter too boring? I can make all the rest more forward, I suppose. R&R!

Bakura's Guardian Angel-was the little "accident" OK?


	3. Chapter 3

I'm soo sorry for such a horrible chapter 2. It'll be re-written in the future, or at least changed a little bit. I have no idea of any of the events of this chapter! Please don't hold it against me ^__^

Bakura's Guardian Angel-Ohh! Sorry, haha. When you said "drag out" I thought you meant "drag out of the closet", not "dragging feet" if that makes sense -__- I actually wasn't even planning on adding any slightly romantic anything's for a while. I don't like mushy gushy fluff that much, so the actual romance aspect won't come for a longgg time :D

Chapter 3

POV Yugi

Grandpa was looking a little flummoxed. Now that I'm closely examining him, he seemed to have more lines on his face than before. His hair was more bedraggled than usual, and his general appearance more shabby. "Yes, Grandpa?" I said, since he hadn't said anything since I looked up.

After a pause, he replied, "I think I'm going to let Yami inherit the shop. He's a much more people-person than you are."

I sat still, shocked. Grandpa was cutting me out of his will? After the shock wore off, I became furious. How **dare** Yami usurp my position! I knew protesting would be useless, so I stood up quickly, slamming my palms on the table, and giving both Grandpa and Yami glares. The chair nearly toppled over, and it would have been a nice added effect, but it landed on its feet. I stormed out of the building, not caring that it had started to pour nor the direction in which I was headed. When my anger finally began to subside, I found myself at Kaiba's big corporation tower. Maybe he can hire me for a job that's good for releasing anger. I seemed to harbor lots of it nowadays.

POV Kaiba Seto

When Yugi came into my office, I figured he just wanted to chat or hang out or something, so I just ignored him. I was making some complicated graphs and analyzing the data. The incompetent fools in Data Analysis couldn't even prepare the data for me, so I was forced to calculate dozens of mundane figures. After several minutes of typing and click 'n dragging, I finally got the picture. And it was _not_ looking good. Last quarter, sales had dropped 14%, while competitors' had gained 2%. I continued filling in some reports and contracts when I was interrupted by a cough. I looked up, annoyed that someone had the audacity to come in and interrupt me, but when my gaze rested on Yugi, I felt some of my exasperation fade away. Yugi was truly a lifesaver. Without him, I'd probably have murdered the next person that came in the door or called me. A few moments of silence later, and Yugi finally opened his mouth to say something.

"Can I have a job?" he blurted out quickly. "I now officially don't have the shop anymore, and I would love to be able to yell at people or fire them or something. Please?"

I was completely stunned by this development. Yugi didn't have the shop anymore? It was his dream to inherit it and make it more successful. Hell, he even had the proper mindset of a businessman to turn the little store into a huge chain! Well, it was Mr. Mutou's loss. I bet that supposed Pharaoh got it instead. Senile fool, getting rid of and ignoring his most valuable asset. Wait, did I just call Yugi valuable? What's wrong with me. When did I stop working?

"Seto-kun?" he repeated.

I was lost in my own thoughts? What the fuck is going on! I tried to regain my composure before replying, although I know I only partially succeeded. "Of course you can have a job, Yugi. I have the perfect opening right now. You can be my personal assistant/head of marketing. Does that sound all right?"

"Thank you Seto-kun!! But what does a personal assistant/head of marketing person do?"

"As my personal assistant, you'll learn the tools of the trade, help me with all the "big boss" stuff, and accompany me to events and such. As head of marketing, you'll come up with ideas to market and promote my products."

"Ooooh that sounds fun! When can I start? Now?"

"Yes. Your training will begin at this moment. First, get a chair so that you can see how I work. Where are you going?" I asked as I saw Yugi leaving.

"To go fetch a chair."

"This is your first lesson. You will use the intercom to tell my secretary to go get a chair. You don't have time to waste searching for one. Here's the intercom button."

"What's your secretary's name? I can't just press it and address her as Ms. Secretary."

"……I don't know. I go through them so quickly names don't stick."

"Oh. In that case, here goes nothing. 'Secretary?''

"… Umm, what?" a feminine voice replied. Who is this, she thought. Definitely not Kaiba.

"Could you please fetch me a chair?" Yugi replied politely.

"Sure, just wait a moment please." Wow, this person is really polite, she thought as she tried to place the vaguely familiar voice.

"Thank you," he replied politely.

"Yugi, you can't speak so slowly and kindly. There is never-ending work to be done, and you already wasted a minute chatting with my secretary. Next time just say, 'Get me a chair' and turn off the intercom. It wastes precious time and resources having conversations while you're working. Got it?"

"Yes, Seto-kun. But I will still be polite." At the end of the sentence, the secretary walked into the room with a rolling chair and placed it across from me.

"I need it on my right side," I ordered.

She meekly rolled it next to me with a puzzled expression and replied, "You're welcome" to Yugi's thanks. This will be prime gossip material, she thought. Kaiba being slightly cordial! Before she could leave, I told her she'd better not breathe a word of this to anyone or the small print on her contracts would be put into effect. She immediately blanched and ran out of the room. With a satisfied smirk, I turned to Yugi. He looked slightly sad for some reason. "Understand?"

"Yes, Seto-kun," he replied a little cheerlessly before brightening a bit. "What's next?"

His sad face somehow made me feel an alien emotion, guilt. I shoved it out of my mind as I focused on teaching my new assistant. "Watch carefully," I said. "I'm filling out contracts to suppliers and typing up contracts for retailers." I continued working, confident that Yugi would catch on and understand the mechanics. As I started typing up a clause stating worker conditions, Yugi interrupted me.

"Shouldn't you leave the worker conditions up to the company? It seems possessive, self-imposing, and controlling if you do that. They might think you want to operate their company, next."

"No. This way the workers will have a chance to survive. I will not tarnish my reputation and employ sweatshops."

"I feel sorry for the workers in sweatshops too, but if that is how the owner wishes to operate the company, then you should just hire other suppliers. How would you like it if some retailers insisted you be kinder to your employees just because they bought your products?"

I became silent. Yugi did have a point there, but I wasn't willing to lose to Yugi's first challenge. After all, I had been CEO for several years and had rigorous, albeit extremely unpleasant and mentally and physically scarring training. I tried to view the situation from all angles, but could only find Yugi's flaws in my contract. I finally admitted defeat. Yugi was correct. I erased the clause and began on the next. By the time I finished the contract, Yugi still hadn't spoken another word. I turned to the side to see if he was still paying attention and was astonished at his attentiveness. Some of the starlight was filtering through the windows and splashed on his face. It gave his skin a transparent and glowing quality and made his eyes shine out of the growing darkness. His golden bangs pulsated with starlight. I did a double take when I found myself staring into pools of amethyst. I sat there, mesmerized, until Yugi broke my trance.

"Why are you staring at me, Seto-kun?"

I paused, what could I say? In the silence that ensued, I made a rash decision. "It's late. We can continue working tomorrow. At this rate, you'll be a company-less CEO in no time [1]."

Yugi glanced up at the clock and exclaimed, "Wow! I can't believe it's already 10 PM! I'd better get going. I'll see you at school tomorrow, ok?" He began to make his way to the door before I stopped him.

"Here, I'll take you. It's a long way from the shop, and you might run into some thugs. We're skipping school tomorrow. There are more important matters to take care of that require our immediate attention."

"Umm…okay. Thanks for offering me a ride home, Seto-kun!"

"No problem. Coming?" I asked when I turned around. Yugi was just standing there. When he heard me, he chuckled embarrassingly and followed me out. The ride to the game shop was silent. When Yugi got out, he waved and thanked me again before bounding up to the store. As he entered the store, his entire demeanor and posture changed. His shoulders slumped down, and his lolled a little forward. I could tell just being in the presence of _the_ shop really depressed him. "Yugi!" I called before he closed the door.

"Yes, Seto?"

"Why don't you stay at my house? We'll save time and you'll be more comfortable."

Yugi's entire face lit up at hearing my proposition. "Thanks Seto! I'll be right back. I need to get some stuff."

I could see him lightly bounding into the house. He disappeared from my view when he went upstairs. While waiting for him, I rubbed my temple, hoping whatever affliction I had concerning Yugi would go away tomorrow.

POV Yugi

As I raced into the shop, I could feel Seto's eyes on me. I can't believe he's so generous! First, offering me a prestigious job, and now, inviting me over because he noticed my discomfort! Lightly racing through my room, I heard a squeak in the left corner and ducked. When the assailant lost his or her balance, I came up around his/her and pinned her to the wall. Immediately after seeing white super spiky hair, I let go and went about my business. Bakura would talk by himself. No point in "wasting time" as Seto would say. I managed to gather all the things needed for a sleepover and school before Bakura broke the silence.

"Where are you going?" he whispered quietly [2].

"Seto-kun invited me to stay over when he noticed the black cloud gathering at the game shop's doorstep. Why did you assault me?"

"I didn't assault you! I was just trying to see something [3]. When did you learn self-defense?"

"Uh-huh," I replied unbelievingly. "It looked like you were trying grab me. I took some classes when _**the**_ group started to become distant. I need to go now. Seto's waiting for me."

Perfect, Bakura thought. Kaiba's house will be a much better training area. "I'll see you at 5 AM tomorrow at in your guest room," and with that, he jumped out the window before I could reply.

I'm quite astounded at my improved senses. Time was, I could stub my toe and not notice until someone told me it was bleeding! Happily skipping down the stairs, I made my way to Seto's car, not noticing his open stares or jealous, glinting brown eyes from the bushes [4]. The ride to Seto's home was also concluded in silence, and I yawned hugely while following Seto in.

My eyes began to become bleary. When Seto noticed this, he took my hand and guided me up the stairs and into my room. Getting only 3-ish hours of sleep this morning was really taking its toll on me. I just stood stupidly in my room, not even very aware of my surroundings. Seto directed me to the bed and gently placed me under the covers. Who would have thought his scrawny arms were so strong? I shifted until I felt comfortable, and just as I completely fell asleep, I felt a small puff of hot breath on my mouth before a butterfly kiss was placed on my lips.

The next morning, I was painfully woken up when Bakura pounced on the bed. I won't even ask how he got into the room. Chances are he just climbed through the window. "What," I mumbled when a blurry Bakura entered my vision.

"Time for training, lazy ass," he hissed. "I'm not sure why I even bother. You act as though my training weren't important. And you waste your time going after _friends_." This time, not only did he jump on me, but he also punched me in the cheek.

"Oww!" I yelped. "What was that for?"

"For not being ready! You should have seen it coming and blocked or ducked it. Ra forbid, I was even moving slowly! You wouldn't survive a day in Ancient Egypt with these reflexes. The guards that come at dawn would have captured you without any trouble. You are not fit to be my apprentice if you won't even put in the effort!" He moved to slap me again, but this time, I ducked it and half-tackled him onto the floor. Unfortunately, the comforter got tangled between my legs, so my tackle was quite ineffective. We both ended up on the floor with the comforter somewhere in the midst. "What the FUCK was that!" he yelled as he tried to untangle himself.

"What? It's not like I was in any position to actually succeed with any move. I caught you by surprise too," I said in a self-satisfied manner. "I bet you didn't sleep with heavy, big, fluffy comforters in Egypt. I'd like to see you do any better!"

"Whatever," he replied dismissively. "Get up. We're going to 'explore' this beautiful ground."

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Just let me change into some more comfortable clothes." I proceeded to quickly change before remembering that Bakura was still in the room. Freezing with my pants half down, my face exploded into crimson and Bakura cackled at the sight. "Will you please turn around?"

"Why? This is _so_ much more amusing than whatever shit is behind me."

My eyes widened considerably, and my face became even redder. It wasn't in response to Bakura, though. Seto had just appeared behind him and was looking decidedly amused and annoyed. Bakura mistook my expression for horror to his statements and continued commenting on how nothing behind him could be better than the sight of me. Seto interrupted by clearing his throat.

"Hi, Seto. I knew you were behind me, ya'know. Your footsteps couldn't be any louder. Anyway, as I was saying, the shit behind me…wait, SETO KAIBA?! GAHHH!!!" Bakura tried to run to the window, but Seto swiftly snaked his hand out and latched onto Bakura's arm. "Let go, you bastard!" However, he couldn't get his arm out of Seto's bone-crushing grip.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house, and Yugi's room nonetheless. There is absolutely nothing of value in this room," he hissed waspishly.

"Ahh, nothing that would concern you. I was just going about my way, stealing some treasures and other shiny knickknacks that you just happen to have an abundance of," Bakura airily replied.

Seto did not appear daunted or surprised at this reply, and just pulled out his cell phone and called his guards up. "Throw this intruder in the dungeon," he commanded. Addressing Bakura, "You'll enjoy your stay there until Ryou can pick you up." At this time, he turned to me and looked me up and down. "Are you planning on pulling up your pants anytime soon?"

"AHHH!" I screamed once again and quickly tugging on my pants. All this embarrassment was probably not good for my heart or face. "Why are you over here so early anyway, Seto-kun?"

"In case you didn't notice, it's already past 9 AM."

I opened my mouth to scream at Bakura for letting me sleep so late when I realized the impression I'd be giving Seto. Instead, I seethed at Seto, even though he didn't really deserve it. "Why'd you let me sleep so late? I've got to go to school, do all my homework, and get back home….." My anger died away as yesterday's events rushed back to me. Oh, I thought. We're going shopping, that's right. And I have a job, or two, and am at Kaiba's house. Seto just stared at me, waiting for recognition to dawn on me. When he deemed it long enough, he just handed Bakura over to his waiting guards and walked out the door. I guess he assumed I would just follow him like a good little guest. And, that's what I did. Ra, I'm so predictable.

We went to the dining room, and once I had eaten, we got into the Kaiba Corporation Company Limo. "What exactly are we shopping for? I don't exactly have very much spare money at the moment."

"**We** are going shopping for a whole new wardrobe, and **I** am paying for everything since you are **my** employee."

I opened my mouth to protest. Seto-kun was doing too much for me already, and I really didn't want to accept any more charity! Again, Seto predicted what I was about to do and went on before I could speak.

"I do this for all my personal assistants. No, you will not be accepting more charity since I'm giving this to you as part of the job package. Now be quiet and come. We're here."

The destination was the most expensive French boutique in the city. "Mademoiselle Colette, Monsieur Gustave, thank you for seeing me on such short notice," Seto said politely when the two such persons [5] greeted him at the door. "Here is your customer. Please get rid of all the horrid leather, but otherwise, you have free reign." He pushed my unwilling body forward.

I can't believe he was actually trying to be polite to someone. He must really respect these two. "I look good in leather," I tried to protest. "And it fits perfectly!" I looked back at Seto and gave him my puppy eyes. At first, his gaze was very decisive, no questions asked, but a few moments later, I could see his will start to waver. I widened my eyes even more, but just as he was about to crumble, Mademoiselle Colette whisked me away behind a curtain.

POV Colette [6]

"What shall we do with you," I mused aloud. His stature was small, but otherwise his bodily proportions were perfect. A nice round face with slightly pointed chin complemented his huge amethyst eyes. He also had the most perfect complexion. Kaiba was correct in that the leather needed to go. It completely clashed with his overall look, looking much too gangster-like. "Gustave," I said, "go get a blue jacket in Kaiba's trademark style. I have a feeling the flare would match him." As Gustave went into the backroom to look for the pattern, I continued to inspect the customer. His long legs should be accentuated elongated a little. It would draw the eye down from the extremely short torso. "Those close-fitting black dress slacks too!" I hollered.

He was beginning to fidget under my scrutiny. He'll need something that will boost his confidence. Why would Kaiba choose such a nervous and shy kid? Maybe a tight blood red sleeveless shirt that shows an inch of midriff. Yes, any shorter and he'll look like a slut. Gustave came back and as he was helping the customer into the pants and jacket, I went to go look for a suitable top. When I came back, I saw Gustave trimming the jacket. Instead of being more like a trench coat, it was beginning to take the shape of a short jacket, almost cape. With the rest of the ensemble, he looked like a model of haute couture. We both agreed on the look, and Gustave went to go look for more clothing that would give this boy a similar appearance.

Gustave also put on a little bit of mascara, eyeliner, and a touch of blush. The finishing touch was the newly created jacket. We both took a step back and gazed at him appreciatively. Of course, the clothing would need to be completely custom-made in order to fit him perfectly, but the basic look was magnificent. This should do, I thought, and ushered the boy out from behind the curtain. Kaiba looked from him, to me, and back to him, before nodding severely. The teen went back behind the curtain to change while Kaiba paid for the service and clothing fee. I pushed some of the money back, and when he glanced at my face, I just said, "This was a pleasure. He was perhaps the most perfect model ever." Nodding once again, he took back the cash and waited for said subject to come out. They both left momentarily, and the excitement of the business faded away.

POV Seto

Yugi was beginning to look like a high-class employee. I glanced at my watch. That took a mere two hours. We were ahead of schedule by about three hours. "Lunch or more shopping," I gruffly asked.

"I'm fine either way," he replied. "I did eat a pretty hearty breakfast, and you've been treating me to all this splendor, so it really is up to you."

"Fine. We'll pick up the rest of the stuff, then eat. Most of what you need will be bought online anyway."

The limo pulled up to an electronics store, and we both walked in. I marched up to the salesman and bought the latest cell phone model. Yugi didn't notice my transaction, so enthused at finding the game section. We picked up a few more items and then I instructed the chauffeur to take us to _the_ Greek restaurant. When we were seated, Yugi just gazed at the surroundings and looked a bit awed at the artwork. When he looked down at the menu, his eyes widened almost imperceptibly. I was waiting for the usual protestation, but surprisingly, none came forth. I looked back at him and saw a face of resignation and utter delight. Hmph, he's learning quickly.

As we waited for the food to come, Yugi began to squirm again. "What," I said.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" he nervously asked.

This took me aback. Surely not _everyone_ would be staring at him, and it was absurd to think he would know for sure. I looked around, and sure enough, everyone was staring at him. No one was looking at me. How could he know everyone was looking at him, and not just staring at me, the famous Seto Kaiba? "How did you know the entire restaurant was staring at you? And the reason is because you're young, and they're reporters. This is your next lesson. Need I remind you to always be prepared? He flinched at my last sentence.

"Uhh, it's a skill I've always had!" Yugi rushed to say.

I simply glared at him. He was lying through his teeth. He seriously thought he could lie to a great negotiator like me? Ah well, I'll get it out of him sooner or later. I was about to instruct him on how to act (even though I would have enjoyed watching him flounder for a bit first) when he suddenly straightened in his chair, plastered a small smile on his face, gazed at me with faux interest, and clasped his hands on the table. His transformation was astounding. Once again, his flexibility had astounded me. I really must watch out for any other 'skills' he has or **I** will be the one floundering.

We ate the meal in silence, and once that was done, we headed over to Kaiba Corporation. I introduced him to the rest of the Marketing team gave, him the cell phone, and left him at that. I had lots of work that needed doing, and Yugi would surely know how to handle himself and the team. As I waited in the elevator, I can remember not noticing anything unique or odd about Yugi. Thankfully, whatever affliction I had last night passed on.

POV Yugi

Yay! I finally get to start my job! This will be fun. "Who is the 'leader' of this department?"

"I am, Mutou-sama," a lanky man nervously answered.

"Just call me Yugi or Yugi-kun or something like that," I said with a smile. "What's your name and what have you and the team been working on?"

"My name is Shima Hotaka [7].Right now, we're trying to make a new advertisement for the latest Duel Disks, but we can't quite get it geared towards a very large age group. Most of the ideas have been kiddie holography play are or sexy, hot males/females."

"Well, that's simple enough to remedy with a little thought. Do neither. They're typical advertisements that are found almost everywhere. We need an advertisement that isn't confusing, but has subtle meanings for older people. Kind of like adult-humor in children movies, but nothing too perverted. It should be chaste. Get those creativity engines moving!"

Hotaka was still standing in front of me. He asked, "Would you be willing to star in any of the ads? As the King of Games, your popularity would be noticed."

"No. I will not influence the results of this quarter by making an appearance. My presence would be appreciated at first, then scorned." Plus, then **they** won't know I'm working for Kaiba Corp. and Bakura won't be able to take advantage of my position. Raising my voice a little so that it could carry through the room, I said, "Please don't tell anyone of your new boss. I want to keep my job and position completely secret. You may say you have a new boss, but not who it is. I trust each and every one of you, so please don't break that trust by gossiping."

I received a few puzzled looks, but I just ignored them and waited. When everyone finally began working again, I walked around to see what it was that everyone actually did. "Hotaka," I called. "Can you give me a tour of the team and facility?"

"Sure, Yugi-sama. There are twenty-one people on the team and five replacements/alternates. The five people are called in when someone is absent or when we need more people. They are very adaptable, learn quickly, and work in almost every area. Seven people work on the script. The tall redhead with glasses is Kiku Masahiro, the shorter brown haired one with the bright pink lipstick is Kiku Kamiko (they're twins), the Korean with really spiky cyan hair is Park Jinsu, the average height Vietnamese with the small glasses and bronze skin is Nguyen Quynh, the slightly chubby American with the large nose and squinty eyes is Mendelbro Jon, the Arabic woman with her face covered is Masheel, and the American with very large glasses and tousled brown hair is Smulf Andrew. They write the script of the ads and always want to have the ad their way even though they know nothing of the mechanics and technological details.

Eight people do research on competitors' advertisements. They analyze the competing ads and try to understand why certain ads are successful. They also make sure our ads are copying or similar to theirs. The team is made up of two triplets and a twin. The ones with the flame red hair in different styles are Izumi Hoshi, Naomi, and Reiko. The other triplets with black-striped hot pink hair are Fuku Mamoru, Daisuke, and Gina. The twins are Kinley Alex[andra] and Ben.

Three people work with the actors on poses and positions and such. They're the most outgoing of the team. The guy with the mohawk is Kyle, the gal with the curly lavender hair is Mimi, and the guy that looks slightly geeky is Matt.

The last two people work the tech to actually film the advertisements. They are very grouchy, but they work really well together. The tall woman with the ponytail and severe expression is Naka Fumiko, and the shorter male with the bald spot and small glasses is Hayashi Iwao. I am like an assistant manager, or your second, and I kind of dabble in every area. If someone needs help, I normally come over and either try to help or defer the problem to other specialists."

"Thank you, Hotaka. You may go back to work now. I'm just going to observe everything right now." 

Everyone was really efficient. Even while hard at work, they still managed to joke around and have fun. I wonder why Seto-kun thinks they just waste time and don't ever get anything done? When lunch break rolled around, nobody stopped working [8]. "Alex," I said, "why are you guys still working? It's lunch break but nobody is eating or relaxing or anything."

"We eat while we work," she replied. "Kaiba-sama doesn't like us to do nothing productive at any time, including lunch."

"Really? Then this will be the first policy I'm changing. Everyone, take a break, eat, and relax for 30 minutes. You can continue work _after_ your break."

There were scattered gasps of disbelief, but when I didn't say anything, they set down their work and pulled some chairs together. Most of the chatter was about the upcoming project. It would be revolutionary and incredibly simple. After break was over, everyone went back to work. The advertisement was coming along very quickly. There were two more intermittent 15-minute breaks, and I had to remind the team to actually stop work. We finished up the day at 7 PM. Kaiba didn't come down until I was just leaving. "Come," he beckoned. I followed him to the parking lot, surprised to see a lone V8 Vantage Aston Martin.

Seto drove to the boutique and picked up my new wardrobe plus a suit. He also forced me to wear the suit. He then took me to an Italian restaurant with an ocean view. We were lead to a lonely table with the best view. After we had ordered, I hesitantly asked, "Ummm Seto-kun, why are we here?" The atmosphere had a suspiciously similar quality to that of a da-a-ate.

"I want to know how you day went. What did the department get done and such," he simply replied, not noticing the scene the pair of them generated.

"Oh! I had such an amazing day! I met all the workers, found out all they did, and got them started on the new advertisement. Those workers are really wonderful!" I gushed.

"I disagree with that sentiment. How is the advertisement coming? Those _workers_ should have been at least halfway done with the commercial by now."

"They were! But I got rid of their ad and gave them much better ideas. They basically had two generic advertisements and wanted to combine the two. It would have been a disaster!" The food came out at this point, and I immediately started gobbling it down. I had ordered _penne alla vodka_, and it was simply divine. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, Seto paid the check, and we left with Seto driving his beloved car.

After he took a turn that took us in the opposite direction as my house, I looked at him questioningly and asked, "Where are you taking me? My house is over there."

"You will stay with me until everything is settled. This way you will be able to absorb and learn everything you need quickly and efficiently with first-hand experience."

"Can I at least pick up some clothes, toiletries, and games?"

"No. We just picked up your clothes, I have all the toiletries you'll ever need, and can get any game you want."

Silence blanketed us again, and the rest of the trip was concluded in its embrace. I was about to lug the new clothing out of the car and up to my room when a lean and sinewy man took it from my hands. I asked a maid where the dungeons were, but she looked at me as if I were insane. Taking another 7 minutes 24 seconds, I finally found Seto and asked him where the dungeons were.

"They're on the top floor in the corner with the most sunlight. Don't let the prisoner out."

How odd, to have a dungeon with lots of light, unless, of course, all the descriptively dark and dank dungeons in those many books are all completely false. I finally found the dungeon and walked through the door. Following a corridor hidden from the main hallway, I saw a guard near one of the doors. He looked completely alert, so I just snuck past him, skittering right under his nose and hugging the shadows. After making my way past the guard, I strolled along until I saw a cell that looked slightly newer. When I looked in, it was truly dark, dank, and disgustingly grey. It also did not have an occupant, although there was a blanket, tray of untouched food, a pitcher of water, and a pallet. Bakura must've escaped, I thought with a smile. I snuck past the guard once again and went to my room.

There was an inch-high pile of homework from yesterday. Sitting at the desk and beginning the homework, I 'felt' and heard a whisper of fabric. Guessing that it was Bakura, I just ignored him and continued working. Just as I finished the second to last subject, my new cell phone rang. I wonder who it could be? This number is restricted.

"Hello?" I said, answering the phone.

"Aibou, where are you?"

Completely taken by surprise, I felt a chill creep up my back. Yami was _calling_ me? Why didn't he just use the mind link? Not replying, I closed the phone and leaned back into the chair. Yami had just severed the last thread. I was reaching for the phone to call Malik or Ryou when Bakura finally decided to make his presence public.

"Well, well, well," he sneered. "Poor little light has lost his _precious _**Pharaoh**. What shall he do now?"

"I was going to talk to Ryou are Malik, but you just said something that piqued my interest." Now what could be precious and important to the Pharaoh? Ah, yes, that gaudy belt buckle collar that he never ever takes off.

"So? Care to enlighten me to your plan?"

"I'm going to steal something in broad daylight," I answered bluntly.

Upon hearing this, his eyes lit up with anticipation.

"No," I said. "I'm doing this alone. Go steal something else from him."

He got really angry at my decision. "Don't tell me what to do _**apprentice**_. I will come along, and that is that. The **both** of us shall carry out this act of revenge. Now here is the plan." He began whispering heatedly and quickly.

We plotted for an hour and a half before it was interrupted by a huge yawn on my part. "No training tomorrow morning. Get to school and begin implementing the plan," Bakura commanded and promptly left. I had just finished a shower when Seto came in. As my face lit up like a tomato, Seto just gazed at me.

"Pegasus-san is coming over tomorrow right after school. He wishes to discuss business matters. You will sit in on the meeting and observe the transactions and interactions. You will not participate in the meeting. Good night," he said and abruptly turned on his heel and left. Exhausted, I turned off the lights and fell on the bed, immediately falling asleep.

[1]- this was not the rash decision! I'm not actually sure what the decision is, but it'll rear its head later I think.

[2]-redundant, yes, but bear with me?

[3]-Uh-oh, what could Bakura want?

[4]-Is this moving too quickly?

[5]-is that grammatically correct? I'm not sure how to use persons lol

[6]-beware of this part. I have absolutely no fashion sense, so if this would look really ugly, sorry! Please feel free to help with suggestions.

[7]-last name first

[8]-they have a lunch break around 2:30ish

Finally! Wow, this was a long chapter. What shall the grand plan be? Should Yami-tachi and Yugi-tachi get more attention? Hmm maybe Pegasus should be helpfully evil? I know this story is getting more and more complex, and I haven't even introduced the actual main idea into the story! R&R and any ideas? I don't really like this chapter. It just goes on and on and on. Oh well.


	4. Chapter 4

Me thinks this chapter will be quite boring. I'm basically just filling in a time period so that more of the characters can be incorporated. This should hopefully solve my problem of the story being very narrow-viewed. Maybe enjoy?

(I really don't like Honda)

Chapter 4

(A few thoughts from characters the night of Yami's phone call, around midnightish? Or possibly 11ish. Sometime late.)

POV Yami

"Yugi? Where are you?" I called softly upon entering the house. It was close to 11 PM, and I hadn't heard from him except for the one hello on the phone. I was deathly exhausted after spending all afternoon and evening at the park with my friends, but I wanted to know where my aibou was. He hadn't made an appearance since last night. His disappearances and silences were beginning to become increasingly annoying. He should be tending to his yami, not gallivanting off to who knows where, although today was perfect without him to ruin all the fun. The topics discussed were probably too mature and crude for him anyway. Ra damn it, where was he! He expected me to find my way in the dark without any assistance in this Ra forsaken dingy place he calls home? Shuffling around for what felt like hours and stubbing my toe on almost everything, I somehow made my ways up the stairs and collapsed on a bed.

POV Anzu

Yes! Today was a wonderful day. I got to spend **all** day with Yami-koi. There wasn't even little Yugi to ruin the atmosphere with his way too innocent looks, naïveté, annoying nasally voice, and endless chatter. Maybe this weekend I will actually ask Yami-koi out on a date. It's about time, considering how long we've been hanging out together. Come to think of it, Yugi hadn't even made his face present this whole day. Maybe he's found some other worthless losers to hang out with and talk their ears off. Hopefully he'll get off our backs for a very long time. I pirouetted across my room a few times before getting ready for bed and falling asleep.

POV Jounouchi

Frisbee was so much fun today! The game was actually moving along instead of just floundering about, waiting for Yugi to chase after the Frisbee and pick it up. Yams was so awesome out there. His dives and rolls always managed to catch the Frisbee just before it landed. Mmm and Burger World was just as yummy, maybe even more so now that there's one less person to pick on me about just how much I eat. Hmm I wonder how Serenity is? I haven't seen her in five days, and her birthday is coming up. I'll have to ask Yams what to get her. He'll know for sure. I wonder if Anzu will let me copy her homework for tomorrow? One bad thing about Yami is that he absolutely sucks at modern day work. *Yawn* I'd better go to sleep. Tomorrow begins early, and it's also Friday.

POV Honda

Oh man, today was the best. There was no one there to stop be from actually getting physical with Jounouchi! No outside interference interrupted our blissful fistfight. Those hot chicks at the park were totally checking me out during the Frisbee game. Again, there was no view-ruiner to destroy the image of my ultra-toned bod'. I could see it in their eyes and stares: they were planning on approaching me when we had to leave! Ah well, maybe they'll be there again next time. Or maybe they also go to Domino High? Hn, I'll have to be on the look out. It'll be sweet if I can actually get a girl. I know I've been single long enough. Now that I think about it, I actually lost some fangirls ever since I started hanging out with Mr. Goody two-shoes. Yes, that must be it. Who I hang out gives a first impression of my personality. Tomorrow should be exciting. I'll be on the look out for those girls, especially the buxom red head with glasses. I got ready for bed, flipped the radio on, and slowly waited for sleep to claim me.

(Mai and Otogi weren't actually with the gang at the park. They were just passing through)

POV Mai

How odd. I saw the gang, but no Yugi today. How is it that his gang is somewhere without him? I hope he didn't get into trouble today. Although that seems unlikely, considering the gang was just hanging out and looking panicked or worried in the least. Maybe I should have gone over and said a quick hello. I'm sure Jounouchi would have been really glad to see me. But where was Yugi? Come to think of it, I haven't seen him for several days. Normally I pass him around town. And what was that commotion at the mall? I thought I glimpsed Kaiba's limo, but there's no way he would go to such a place. I hope I'm not hallucinating. That would be disastrous for my shop. Did I see Otogi at the park too? It looked like he was also passing through, but I don't recall seeing him go anywhere near the gang. Maybe they had a fall-out of some kind. Or maybe he had no reason to hang out with them since Serenity wasn't there. I should go visit him. Now that DDM is released and beginning to become popular, he shouldn't be as busy as he normally is. Yes, that would be a good idea. He may become a great connection in the future, and I really haven't talked to anyone from the old gang ever since I opened up my beauty parlor.

I contemplated over this afternoon's events as I went through my daily night routine of removing makeup, taking a nice long bath, shaving, and putting on the night lotions and creams. Tomorrow would be super busy since it would be a Friday. After carefully going through the routine, I was finally ready for bed.

POV Otogi

I can't believe I wasted the afternoon strolling through the park when I should have been working. Sure DDM is becoming popular, but maybe I should be trying to develop new systems, platforms, or games? I probably can't rely only on DDM. It'll die in a few years, a decade at most. It was odd, seeing the gang hanging around at the park. We had lost contact when the release of DDM neared. I had even walked right past them, a few meters in front, and they didn't even notice me. That really sent a sharp pain through my heart. Just because Serenity wasn't there doesn't mean I wouldn't notice them. How could it be that they only noticed me when I made my advances on Serenity? I think Mai was also at the park. She seemed like she was in a hurry to get somewhere. I think she saw me, but when I looked at her again, her gaze was at the gang. I waited in the shadows of a tree, waiting to see her approach them, but she didn't. Her gaze was almost wistful or mournful. Her face had also matured a bit. Her shop must be successful then, since she didn't really look too stressed out. Maybe I should contact her. It'd be nice to chat with someone from the past.

Did I see Yugi at the park? I can't quite remember, but I think only one tri-colored head was there, and he reached Jounouchi's shoulders, so he must have been Yami. Why wasn't Yugi hanging out with his friends? He would never miss a chance to have fun and hang out with them. Maybe he was working on homework or something. I should talk to him too. He was always the most accepting and believed in my attempts to snag Serenity. I must set a day aside for a little old-friends reunion. It'll be lots of fun. I glanced over at the glowing digital alarm clock by my bed. Oh my, my insomnia is really kicking in tonight. I'll be exhausted tomorrow if I can't get any sleep. Stop thinking about complicated things. Yes, I can feel my eyelids begin to grow heavy. Thank you, I murmur before drifting to sleep.

POV Bakura

The dungeon was a nice little surprise, but the guard was as incompetent as ever. And why the hell was it on the top floor? Those stairs were killer on my heels. Being dragged up two flights of stairs was not fun. Why couldn't those stupid guards have dragged me by the wrists? That way I could have walked up with them, instead of getting huge bruises on my heels.

Yugi is learning very quickly. We should be able to test his skills in a real robbery tomorrow at this rate. Hmm…a rich person's house or a museum? A museum it is! Heh, maybe we'll target all the museums first then the rich people's houses! Oh yes, tomorrow will probably be the most exciting day of the week. Two robberies in a day, **and** payback to that fucking Pharaoh! We should have at Ishtar's museum. Marik _should_ be on guard duty tomorrow night, and what fun it'll be to steal something from under his nose! I silently moved around my room, collecting all the materials that would be needed for tomorrow night's excursion. After all, a spirit, albeit a solid and living one, needn't sleep or rest or anything like that. Mortal necessities were very cumbersome and got in the way of living. I mean, how could anyone do anything in their lifetime if their asleep half the time?!

I made my way to the more dangerous slums and hit a bar. Fuck if I wouldn't be able to get the good Egyptian spirits before a run. They really needed to open an Egyptian bar for all the Middle Easterns.

POV Malik

Ra damn it! What was Marik up to! He'd been quiet for the past two or so days. Ever since Yugi disappeared, Marik had started stalking Ryou! Damn that fucking yami. He hadn't done anything as of yet, but he wouldn't stop following us around! I'm going to really blow it if he continues tomorrow. We can't chat about anything private if he's going to continually eavesdrop on our conversations.

Could it be he's crushing on Ryou? **NO**. There's absolutely no way in seven hells that can be happening. If he does, I'll confront him. I will! Even the beatings and cuttings will be better than subjecting Ryou to such cruelty. _His_ yami is already cruel enough as it is. I've got to find Yugi. He'll know what to do. Yugi always knows how to fix things up and figure out conundrums. I'd better turn in. Isis has a big thing going on at the museum tomorrow and I have to wake up early to help her set up before school.

POV Ryou

Yugi, where were you today? Bakura let me off my leash and said I could interact with you. I hope he doesn't have any drastic things planned that rely on my interactions. I'd really not want to hurt you even indirectly. And Bakura has been acting a bit strangely lately. He's has been genuinely excited sometimes and leaves the house really early! He also hasn't been drinking as much. Is this in preparation for something this weekend? Please don't let it involve my friends or me. Please. Ra, Osiris, Anubis, Set, anyone out there, please! I have a feeling his next plan put into action will have disastrous and/or dire consequences that we will be sucked into.

Oh my, I completely forgot about my predicament with Marik. He's been following me around ever since Bakura started acting weird-er than normal Bakura. This must have something to do with Bakura. There is no way he's following me for any other reasons. I should probably tell Bakura about this, but he'll most likely just insult me about my weakness or punch me or something. I must tell Yugi then. He'll look at this at all angles and come to a satisfying and good conclusion. I hope I won't be burdening him with all my problems. Ra knows he's got enough of his own, but even Malik can't figure out what's going on.

Dear Ra, I'm thirsty. Why am I so thirsty all of a sudden? And what is this burning feeling in my throat and belly? Ra, some burning substance is trying to drown me! Bakura, Bakura, help me!!! Please! I don't want to die! I'll take any beating and cutting nicely with lots of screaming involved if you help me! The burning sensation halts for a moment before it starts up again. And then it stops again. Was Bakura _Drinking_?? Oh no, no, no, this is **not** good at all. He only completely wastes away when he's about to pull of a big stunt or having a wonderful day! I must warn the others, I must! Oh wait, it's midnight. No one will be awake. Note to self, warn others immediately once at school. Don't forget! /Bakura…/ I quietly murmur as I fall asleep.

POV Marik

Where the HELL is Bakura. I'd think that after following Ryou around he'd become suspicious or something, but he hasn't even made an appearance since that afternoon by the docks! And what's up with him and Yugi? He'd never bother me about that little light. Why would he notice a change in his personality? Sure, Yugi can be counted on for being annoyingly cheerful and optimistic, but who cares a damn. Bakura most certainly doesn't. I've got to find out his plans tomorrow. He's sure to let me join in the fun. After all, what are partners in crime for, right? He'd better, or he'll get his eyes gouged out and stuffed in his mouth. Maybe I should kidnap Yugi. With Bakura's newfound interest, he'd be perfect blackmail, too weak to put up a fight or cause any trouble. Saturday will be the perfect day to steal little Yugi.

Where'd I put the chloroform? And the hoodie, where is it? Hmm this can of black spray paint might come in handy. Millenium Rod check, ropes check, bag to hold stuff check, black spray paint check, bottle of chloroform check, hoodie check, towelette check, and tracker check. I should be good to go for Saturday. Maybe I'll do it after my shift is over. Damn stupid Isis, actually making me work! What a waste of a perfectly good evening. It's not like there is anything worth stealing in the fucking museum except for some shiny gold Egyptian jewelry. Worthless pieces of junk. They aren't even shiny anymore, more like dull gold. Ah wait, there _is_ that one jewelry set that actually looks pretty good. Golden necklace, wrist bands, and ankle bands encrusted in turquoise and lots of precious gems. Quite beautiful. Maybe I shall steal it so no other thieves will ever want or think about visiting the museum. Then I'll be free from Isis's job of terror! Tonight has been amazingly productive; I think I'll go celebrate with my beautiful dagger. Who shall be the hapless victim?

POV Pegasus

What a nice surprise to get a business deal with Kaiba-boy, and in his house no less! This shall be a great time for some reconnaissance. He must have something on that computer of his. I'll just attach a little bug to the inside of his office and capture his keystrokes. I'll have all his plans and documents, and Industrial Illusions will overwhelm the corporate world!

I wonder if Yugi-boy will come over tomorrow? It'll sure be nice for him to see my new house. The renovators were absolutely wonderful and quick. He must be wondering why it is suddenly so quiet over here now. I must keep a lookout for him tomorrow. We simply must get together and catch up. It's been so long since Duelist Kingdom. I'll introduce him to Mr. Fluffermuffins. They'll bond so well since they both look adorably fluffy.

I should probably get a tour of the city soon, otherwise I'll become hopelessly lost when I take walks. Yugi-boy will surely give me one. We _are_ such fabulous buddies, after all. What time is it? It must be getting late. Huh, where'd I put my watch? I'm absolutely positive I had it on when I came here. It's been two days since I last recall having the watch on. One of those renovators probably stole it somehow. There goes their extra bonus. I'll check the black market tomorrow to see if the person who stole it will be or had sold it. That watch was a dear present to myself when my plans for bringing Cyndia back failed. Oh, Cyndia, how I miss you so. It's a full moon tonight, and the radiance always brings back the memories of you; the moon's light shining on your skin, making it glow, and giving your hair even more luster. I shall turn in just for you, my Cyndia. I devote my existence to maintaining our love, and my actions always carry your memory. Good night, dear.

(Break! How was that? It actually got better and better lol. Or maybe it began to make less and less sense. So the plot actually begins to move along now. I'm so happy I can actually use other characters now! Yugi overload haha. New plot points too! Go Marik!! Ah, there will be a time skip soon. Don't get mad!)

(morning)

POV Yugi

At 6:30 AM, the alarm blared beside the bed. I immediately opened my eyes and sharply searched the room for any hidden surprises. It wouldn't surprise me if Bakura was hidden somewhere in the mansion just waiting to use me as a target board. After I took a shower, I went over to the wardrobe. I got really perplexed, not knowing what to wear. I didn't think I'd have to stoop so low as to ask for help changing, but with the new wardrobe and all, I had no clue what was in it. "Seto!" I yelled.

"You didn't need to yell. I was just coming over to see if you needed help. I anticipated your confusion over your new wardrobe," he said, appearing at the door and immediately coming in.

"What am I supposed to wear? I don't have any of my buckles, chains, or leather!"

"Here," he replied, tossing me a top, pants, and the coat thing. I went into the bathroom and quickly changed. When I got out, I immediately headed over to the floor length mirror.

"Seto! I look like a business associate or something!"

"Of course. If you will be my personal assistant, you will have to dress in a similar fashion to me. I will not have a _personal_ assistant dress like a pimp, slut, gangster, or prep. You will always dress professionally. Don't worry, the clothing will grow more comfortable with wear, and you will have the same freedom to move about as in your normal circulation restricting leather. If you wish to have accessories, I will allow one necklace and two bracelets. Under no conditions are you to get any piercings or tatoos or dye your hair. I can arrange for your appearance to be professionally altered if you so wish it. Come. You have 15 minutes for breakfast before we must leave. I have already prepared everything for this afternoon's meeting, and you will take mental notes." He turned on his heel and strode out.

Breakfast was delicious, and we made our way to school by limo. I was a little self-conscious upon getting out of the limo since almost all the students always stared when Seto-kun got out, but I think I managed to hide it under my usual cheery façade. After I stepped out of the limo, silence blanketed the population, then everyone suddenly started whispering. I tried my best to ignore them and headed over to the door to look for Ryou and Malik. They were in their usual spot, and when they spotted me, they both did a double take.

"What happened to you, Yugi?" Malik asked. You were gone yesterday, and now you come back looking like Kaiba!

I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck before answering. "Err, well two days ago, I got a job with Seto-kun as his personal assistant and head of the Marketing department. But don't tell anyone! It's all a secret, ok?"

"Umm ok," they both replied a little puzzled.

"Let's just get to class now. We're going to be late and I still need to pick up all the make-up work. I'll see you in homeroom!"

"Wait, Yugi!" Ryou and Malik both shouted at the same time. "I've got to warn you of something, and I need your help solving this problem!" They dashed after me and followed me to my locker.

"Huh?" I questioned. When they both began talking at once, I said, "Slow down. Ok, Ryou, you first. Then you, Malik."

"Bakura went drinking last night, and Marik won't stop following me!"

"What's so important about Bakura drinking last night? And did you ask Marik why he's following you?" Bakura better be completely alert today. If not, I'm going to clobber him and possibly teach him a lesson with this handy dagger I've acquired.

"We don't know _why_ Marik is following Ryou around," Malik supplied.

"If Bakura goes out drinking the night before, that means he's planning something drastic for today! I've got a really bad feeling about tonight, Yugi," Ryou answered.

"Hmm, let me think about this. The first bell just rang and if we don't get to homeroom in time, we're going to be late. I'll think about this in class." I led the way to homeroom and went to my seat among stares. Seto-kun sat down next to me and got out his laptop to immediately begin working. The teachers were completely used to this behavior and knew he'd ace anything anyway, so they just ignored him. After the first 5 minutes of class began, Seto nudged me with his leg to get my attention. I turned to look at him confusedly.

"You should be observing me as I work so that you can take over for me when I have other business to attend to."

"Oh yes!" I whispered back. "Sorry, it kind of slipped my mind. I was trying to solve a puzzle." I turned back in my chair, but I didn't rotate completely forward. I was sort of at a 75 degree angle to Seto-kun so that I could view the screen of his laptop. Unfortunately, this put Yami directly in my line of sight. He was chatting animatedly with Jounouchi and Honda even though class was in session! I divided my attention in four so that I could concentrate on the teacher, Seto-kun, Yami-tachi, and Ryou and Malik's problem. I'm not quite sure how I accomplished this feat, since multi-tasking with such large attention absorbers was very difficult. By the end of the lesson, I managed to completely understand Seto-kun's document, figure out a partial solution to Ryou and Malik's problem, absorb the information the teacher was lecturing about, and keep a close eye on Yami-tachi. I wonder why Yami was fooling off now. Normally he's a very diligent student because he doesn't exactly understand the modern world.

The second lesson had begun, and I had split my attention in four once again. About halfway through, Yami turned to look at me, and he gave an audible gasp. All eyes swiveled to Yami to see what he found so surprising, and they turned to look back at me, following his gaze. My new appearance was already old news, though some whispers were still circulating. "Yami," the teacher said. "If you're done staring at your brother like you've never seen him before, please stop interrupting my lesson. I can see you haven't really been paying attention, so if you'd like to come up and teach in my stead, you're welcome to it."

This statement made Yami shut his mouth and immediately turn around to face the front. A few seconds later, a crumpled piece of paper landed on my desk. Aibou, it said. I wish to talk to you during lunch. I'll meet you at your locker. I barely smothered my gasp of indignation and glared at the paper. How dare he! He didn't even ask me, and he could have used the mind link! I quickly checked my mind link and found it to be perfectly strong and open, but when I went over to his end, it was completely barricaded! I went back to paying attention to Seto, the teacher, and my friends' problem while using Yami's free attention space to figure out how to contact Bakura.

We were originally going to get my revenge on him after school, but lunchtime would be an even more perfect opportunity. A few more periods passed before lunch break, and I made a dash for my locker, completely ignoring Seto-kun, Ryou, and Malik's questioning gazes. I climbed on top of my locker and hid in the agreed upon hiding spot, waiting for Bakura to show up. "Bakura," I whispered. Come on, where are you? I felt a prickling sensation to my left and knew Bakura had finally appeared. He lightly hopped up onto the lockers and squeezed into the shadows with me. "A perfect opportunity popped up, Bakura. Yami's coming over to my locker to talk to me, and it will probably be about my new clothes. We can implement the plan and get away with his collar, puzzle, and wallet. Here he comes."

Yami jaunted slowly down the hallway towards my locker. When he turned to look for me, I slithered down from the hiding place and came up behind him. "Yami," I whispered seductively in his ear, my breath lightly blowing across his earlobe and snaking towards his cheek.

POV Yami

"Yu-uu-gii," I stuttered. How did Yugi come up behind me like that? He nearly gave me a heart attack! And what's up with his voice? I inspected him from head to toe and back to his head again; just as my eyes met his, he slowly licked his lips.

"You wished to speak to me?" he quietly purred.

"Umm, ye-e-ss. It-ts abo-ou-t yo-your new clo-clothing. And wh-where were you last night?" I began to demand, growing a bit bolder. Yugi was acting very strangely, and my heart was starting to race.

"Dearest Seto-kun was treating me yesterday," he replied softly, moving closer so that my back was pressed against the lockers.

POV Bakura

Fucking Ra, Yugi was playing his part perfectly. Any passerby could mistake his actions to be true and heartfelt. I wonder if he ever felt like this towards Yami? It would certainly explain the slightly mischievious and malicious glint buried beneath his "lust" filled eyes. I carefully glanced up and down the hallway to make sure nobody was coming and shifted slightly forward.

Yami was looking decidedly uncomfortable, but there was anticipation in the bottommost depths of his eyes. Yugi finally made his move, and while he was attacking Yami's lips and lacing his fingers into Yami's hair, I leaned down and took off both the puzzle and collar and replaced them with replicas. Shit, Yami's moans were disgusting. Yugi pushed Yami against the lockers and shifted Yami's body slightly towards the left so that the pocket with his wallet was slightly towards me. I leaned down once again and plucked the wallet out of his pocket and placed a beautiful gold Egyptian coin with the symbol of Set and Horus on it in his wallet's stead. I scratched the top of the locker with a barely audible sound to signal Yugi that the deed was done. He immediately broke off, looking very satisfied. Yami was gasping for air in a very undignified manner. When Yami glanced sideways for a moment, Yugi sneakily took a picture of Yami with his phone. He winked at me and turned down the hallway.

POV Yami

Oh my Ra, I wasn't expecting that. Did Yugi really feel that way towards me? A small corner of my heart felt a little disgusted, since we shared the same body for several years, but the rest of my rapidly beating heart yearned for that taste of him. My mind pushed the tiny bit of disgust down into the depths of my vast mind. Did I ever ask Yugi about his clothes? Ra, I can't recall anything before that tantalizing kiss. Who knew he'd have so much experience in kissing like that? I'd better get back to the group before they wonder what happened to me. When I found the group and began to eat lunch, they questioned me as to my whereabouts, but I just avoided answering with anything concrete. I resolved to talk to Yugi about what happened today tonight.

POV Seto

I was working at the table while Malik and Ryou were chattering away and eating lunch when Yugi finally decided to appear. He looked triumphant and happier than I'd seen him in a while. His clothes were slightly mussed, but otherwise his appearance was quite neat. "Where were you?" I asked quietly.

"I had some business to attend to," he replied primly. He unpacked his lunch and began munching away like nothing out of the ordinary happened. I was quite proud of him. He was beginning to sound like a proper businessman that didn't answered without giving real information. I wanted to glare at him approvingly, but Malik or Ryou might become suspicious.

"Have you figured out the problem yet?" Malik asked after a few minutes.

"I believe it would be best to wait and see what Bakura has planned since he's not going to tell you. Marik probably just wanted Bakura. I believe he followed you around, thinking that this would annoy Bakura to the point of confronting him," Yugi replied.

"Did you catch what I was working on?" I asked him. It was obvious he had already told Ryou and Malik about his new job, so I didn't need to worry about concealing the meaning.

"Yes. You first completed some investment paperwork. Then you went on to some more overseas contracts. Lastly, you were working on detailed analyses of your competitors." He went on and described in detail my processes. Yugi was truly a prodigy. I should get Mokuba to teach him the next part of being a personal assistant and head of Marketing. Marketing _was_ Mokuba's specialty before he was forced to pay attention to school. Right as he finished his lunch, the bell rang, signaling the end of break. He immediately packed up and left, leaving the rest of us a little puzzled. Normally he waited for us to walk back with him to class. We all packed up and headed back together a few moments later.

POV Yugi

Oh man, Operation Revenge worked out perfectly! I can't believe he actually kissed me back like that. He completely fell for my act! I quickly walked over to my locker and waited a few moments for Bakura to show up. When he did, I impatiently asked, "well? How'd the whole process go."

"It was very smooth. Nice acting on your part," he admitted gruffly.

"You stashed the items in the agreed upon place?"

"Yes, yes, now go on to class. I've got things to do and a surprise for you tonight. Be prepared for a late night excursion."

He disappeared suddenly, and I went back to class, barely getting through the door before the bell rang. Positioning myself once again, I noticed that every time Yami noticed me looking at him, he'd turn a beautiful shade of tomato. It feels really nice to know the entire operation went according to plan, including his embarrassment. I heard Anzu ask him if he was coming down with sickness because his face was pretty warm and red. He quickly shook his head went back to staring at the teacher. Seto was working on another boring stock analysis page and was moving pretty slowly. I leaned over towards his shoulder and told him to buy the stock that was second to last. He looked up at me, surprised at my quick decision before deciding to purchase a quarter of the stock. What amazed me was that he made a new account and placed money into it before acquiring the stock. "For me?" I asked. He silently nodded. What fun, I'll get some competition!

I turned towards my friends and saw them looking at me with an emotion I'd never seen before. Oh well. The rest of the classes went by quickly. When the last bell rang, I waited for Seto to pack up and followed him out to the limo. We quickly drove back to the mansion and prepped a bit before Pegasus would come. I was looking forward to this meeting, but we still had another 15 minutes before the meeting would commence. I found a laptop in a draw and switched it on. In the 15 minutes, I looked up some programming languages and began to learn them, starting with Python, Perl, C++, and LISP. They'd come in handy when Bakura and I finally began thieving.

POV Malik

"Ryou, do you think Yugi's acting a bit strangely? He's been very abrupt and distracted all day. He barely even conversed with us! And why do you think Yami kept turning red during afternoon classes whenever he caught Yugi looking at him? He completely ignored it this morning."

"I don't know, Malik, but I have a feeling it has something to do with his activities in the past two days. Three days ago, he was perfectly normal, and now today, he's abrupt, rushed, quiet, and serious." We were walking home when I noticed a silver limousine parked across the street from the Kame Game Shop.

"Look," I said, pointing at the limo. "Did you know Crawford-san moved in across from Yugi? It looks like he's going somewhere. Maybe we can visit his house tomorrow. He was renovating it, but it looks like it's complete."

"Pegasus??" he replied, shocked. I pulled his hand and continued walking home. He must have been really stunned that Pegasus moved across from Yugi.

"I'm so glad Yugi solved our problem so quickly. What's Marik doing with this bag?" I question aloud. Just then, he appears, holding a very sharp looking chef's knife in one hand.

"Leave my stuff alone," he commanded, brandishing his knife. We both dashed out of the house and headed over to Ryou's house.

POV Pegasus

I had just gotten into the limo when I saw Malik and a familiar white haired boy. What was his name again? Baku, Bakair, Bakura! Malik was pointing at my house and Bakura looked stunned. He dragged Bakura down the street, and I lost sight of them. The driver took me to Kaiba's mansion, and we waited for a few moments before the gate was opened. Upon reaching the curb, I gracefully got out and went to the door. Kaiba immediately opened the door and gestured for me to come in. I walked in, carefully stepping on the mat and followed Kaiba to a living room. I can imagine the look on my face when I saw Yugi-boy sitting on the couch. He was looking decidedly posh and business-like, and his face was frowned in concentration. "Hello, there, Yugi-boy. What a pleasant surprise to see you here! What might you be doing in Kaiba-boy's meeting?"

"I will be observing the proceedings to further my training," he replied stiffly.

I turned to look at Kaiba-boy. He had a smirk of pride etched on his face. "What have you done to poor Yugi-boy," I quietly hiss.

"Absolutely nothing," he replies equally quietly and venomous. "He has learned all of his mannerisms on his own, and I had nothing to do with it. I may have been a role model for him, but I did not instruct him in terms of mannerisms and actions. He is quite brilliant. Shall we begin the meeting? I can't afford to waste any time."

"Yes, yes," I hastily reply. I guess I'll have to plant the bug here since we aren't going into an office. A butler comes in with refreshments and we begin the proceedings. As I reach for my wineglass, I 'sneakily' slide the bug underneath the rim of the table. Yugi-boy stares at me while Kaiba-boy continues speaking. An hour and a half later, we conclude the meeting and schedule another session. Yugi-boy sees me out since Kaiba-boy went right back to work. I somehow manage to ask the Yugi-boy if he'd be willing to escort me around town before I'm ushered out the door. He replies with a "maybe Sunday" and gently closes the door.

POV Yugi

Pegasus really thought he could slip a bug unnoticed during the meeting? The way he did it was so amateurish it was laughable. I finger the bug and decide to tell Seto-kun about it. Maybe I can work down here in the living room and type up some fake documents to fool Pegasus. I can't believe he called me a friend and wants me to give him a tour of the city! I find Seto in his office, typing away at his computer and looking a little irritated. "Seto-kun," I broach. "Can I work with some fake or menial documents in the living room where the meeting was held?"

"Why?" he asks without looking up from his work.

"Pegasus-san planted a little bug under the coffee table."

"Oh?" was all he said. "Sure, if you want. You can have that stack of paperwork," he said, pointing at a small stack on the corner of the desk. Thank you, Seto-kun! Giving into impulse, I run over to where he's sitting and give him a big hug. I ran off to begin working, grabbing the paperwork on my way out.

The work was truly menial. It was just filling out graphs and charts with the occasional business deal. While finishing up the stack, I thought about what would happen tonight. Bakura had promised something exciting and fun, and knowing the Tomb Robber, it could be anything. I finished all the work and got started on my homework. Dinner interrupted me, but I just got right back to work afterwards. I had about 4 hours to kill until the time Bakura would most likely show up, so I worked on learning the new languages.

POV Seto

I'm glad Yugi saw Pegasus plant the bug. I had suspected him to do something of the sort, so I hosted the meeting in the living room. The idea to do menial tasks also followed my line of thinking. Yugi is catching on very quickly. Soon, I'll actually have some free time to pursue my own projects. I noticed that Yugi started learning some computer languages this afternoon. "Mokuba," I said into the intercom systerm. "Can you please come into my office?"

Mokuba appeared a few moments later. "Yes, Seto? What is it, and why are you home so early?"

"Can you teach Yugi all you know about computers? He's making headway with Python, Perl, LISP, and C++. Teach him everything about hacking and protecting, and could you also help him with the Marketing aspect? I trust his judgment, but I'm sure you can teach him much.

"Sure thing, Seto! I'll get started right away, but why are you home so early?"

"I had a meeting with Crawford-san, and I decided to just continue working here instead of wasting time in the trips to and from the Tower."

"Awesome. You should have more meetings here, then. I'll spend a few hours with Yugi, then can you play with me?"

"Only for a little bit. It'll be near your bedtime then."

"Yay! You're the best, Seto!"

I ruffled his hair. "Now go, you don't want to waste time, do you?" He jumped out of my grasp and bolted downstairs to the living room.

POV Mokuba

"Yugi, Yugi! Onii-san says I'm to teach you all about computers!"

"Really? That's great! I just finished up the ones I've been working on, so I was just about to get started looking at some webpages and code to see how other people use it."

"Wow, Yugi, you're really fast! Let's see, I'll show you a simple hack, and you'll try to understand the works behind it, ok?"

"Sure!"

I pulled his laptop over and opened up . They had some of the worst security ever. I inputted some commands and made the website turn neon green with slimy goo covering all the tabs. Yugi was watching the screen closely, deep in thought. I handed the computer over to him and watched him pull up the source code. He scrolled down about halfway, deleted one word, and replaced another. The webpage went back to normal.

"How'd you do that?" I asked. "Normally it takes me a minute to get rid of all the changes."

"Simple. The word I deleted was imperative to the green and goo scheme, while the word I replaced was imperative to the normal color scheme. Why don't we try something more challenging?" he said, pulling up Kaiba Corp.'s webpage.

"Are you crazy? Onii-san keeps heavy tabs on the website and has the most advanced firewall ever!"

"Just wait a sec," was all he said. Yugi typed a few short sentences into the code and exited out. I grabbed the computer and went back to the website to see nothing out of the ordinary.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"I just breached the firewall and placed a little note to tell of my presence. No, I didn't plant any bombs, viruses, or anything of the sort." Just then, onii-san stalked through the room.

"Mokuba," he said dangerously.

"I didn't do anything! It was all Yugi!"

He gave me a look of disbelief and turned to Yugi. Yugi was just smiling, looking a little too innocent. "How did you get past my firewalls," he hissed. "They aren't even in a language you were studying. In fact, they were in my own language. I created an entire computer language so that nobody would understand it."

"Ah, it was pretty simple to understand. I just…." He rambled on for a few minutes, explaining what he did and how he was able to understand the language so quickly. Seto was looking a bit miffed. I could see the ideas tumbling through his head.

"Build a new firewall for the website now," he commanded. "You have 15 minutes."

Yugi reached for the computer and brought it to his lap. He went over to the website, and while onii-san was watching over his shoulder, deleted a big chunk of the code. He then replaced it with a few short lines in a jargon of Python, Perl, and LISP and handed the computer to Seto.

Seto quickly tapped away at the computer, and after half an hour, couldn't find a way in. He looked very frustrated and on the brink of smashing the laptop, so I stole the laptop and got to work on it. Forty-five minutes later, I still hadn't cracked the firewall. I began to notice a pattern, however, pertaining to Duel Monsters. The pattern was barely there and so well hidden that I didn't really notice it. Seeing how the code actually worked, I quickly unraveled it and broke through. I gave both Yugi and onii-san a triumphant smile. I don't think Seto was willing to admit defeat to both Yugi and I, programmers with very little experience, but he didn't get mad at any of us. "Show me how you got through, Mokuba," he said.

I showed him the pattern that looked just like one in Duel Monsters. He became a bit frustrated that he couldn't break through a simple firewall that was based on a card game!

POV Seto

I can't believe a pattern tricked me. So little kids would most likely be better at breaking through a firewall like this than older, more experienced, hackers. I'll put Yugi on monitoring the website. He can also implement more complex firewalls to my bigger systems. "Yugi, can you build much more complex firewalls for my bigger systems?"

"Sure," he replied. "I can actually base the most secure one off of Yami's soul room." I could tell saying that was kind of uncomfortable, but if what he said was true, Yami's soul room was worse than the maze of staircases illusion.

"Are you as good with words as you are with computer jargon?"

"Oh, no, no no! I'm absolutely horrible with words," he replied, a little mortified. We sat around, creating more firewalls and destroying them when the clock chimed 10 PM. Mokuba, surprisingly, didn't interrupt to remind me of my promise to play with him. I guess he was having as much fun hanging out with Yugi and attempting to break down Yugi's defenses. Yugi stood up and stretched.

"I'm going to go now," he said.

What an odd choice of words. "Remember, you'd better be sleeping here tonight."

"Of course," he replied with a grin. "I musn't let Seto-kun have more issues to worry about."

I ignored his tone when I noticed Mokuba's look of wonder. I gave him a questioning glance. His eyes darted from Yugi to me, then he stood up and left. I was alone in the living room with Yugi's laptop. I decided to surf the internet for more information about other hackers such as Yugi.

POV Bakura

I came by Yugi's room around 11:30 with all the gear needed. He was sitting on the bed, already clad in skin-tight black clothing. I was that predictable, huh. His aura was quite bright and happy, and when I appeared, it brightened even more. He looked very excited, probably from guessing the nature of tonight's little run.

"So, what's the plan?" he whispered excitedly.

"We're going to go pay Marik a little visit tonight and pick up a few things there."

"Sweet. Where, when, what, and how?"

"Ishtar museum, now, golden jewelry set encrusted in turquoise and precious stones, probably the only shiny golden jewelry present, and like good 'ol thieves with modern technology."

We climbed out the window and made our way to the ground, using the conveniently placed tree to slow us on our descent. The museum was a little ways away, so we had to walk for about half an hour. When the museum came into sight, it wasn't clear where Marik was. We took cover behind some bushes to the right of the museum, and got the gear out. I took off the Millenium Ring and hid it in a little hole, covering the hole back up with brush and some dirt. I was about to use the grapple hooks to get to the roof when Yugi tugged on my sleeve. He pointed to the side of the museum and mouthed 'side entrance'.

He must have been a trusted frequenter because he even had the key to the entrance. Before entering, I placed my ear up against the door, hoping to hear Marik if he was nearby. It was silent, so I quietly opened the door and slipped in with Yugi following in my wake. I actually had no idea where the jewelry was placed with concern to the position of the entrance, but Yugi once again saved us some trouble. He began leading the way, stopping frequently in shadowy corners and peeking both ways before moving on again. He stopped at the entrance of a room, and I was about to stroll in before he grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I sent him a death glare, but he just mouthed 'lasers'.

I rummaged through the bag and pulled out a can of aerosol. I sprayed the air in front before squeezing the trigger on hold and rolling the can forward. We made our way forward and stopped at the display case. I carefully lifted the display case, and just as I removed the jewelry, Yugi placed a coin with our symbol of Set and Horus. We stealthily picked up the can again and left the museum. That was quite a simple heist. I dug up the Ring and placed it on my neck before picking everything else up.

When we climbed back into Yugi's room, he made a triumphant sound.

POV Yugi

Wow, that was one of the most exciting things I've ever done! Even more than dueling Seto-kun! I turned to look at Bakura's reaction, and his eyes actually sparkled a little. "We've got to do that again, 'Kura!"

He bristled a bit and scowled at me at his nickname but didn't attempt to throttle me or anything. "Will you teach me to use a dagger or two?" His eyes widened a bit at this request.

"What do you need to learn to use weapons for?"

"You, know. Just self-defense or making threats a bit more realistic. They also add a sense of danger, and that will discourage some people," I replied with a huge innocent look on my face.

He couldn't resist my puppy eyes for long and soon gave in. "Do you even have a dagger?" he asked as he led the way outside again.

"Yes," I nod and pull it out to show him. He whistled in appreciation. "Is it ok?"

"Do you even know what you have in your possession?" I stared blankly at him. "That's a genuine Royal Assassin's dagger you have here. Test the edge with a piece of hair." I plucked a hair out of my scalp and laid it on top of the edge. Not milliseconds after it was placed on the edge, it fell in two. "Who'd you get it from?"

"I can't remember, but I took it from some guy on the street yesterday. He looked like he would be a slightly more competent target, but he disappointed me."

Bakura was looking at me with incredulity but didn't question me further. We were standing right in front of the tree by now. He showed me how to grip the dagger and gave me some stances to practice. He also gave me a few thrusts and lunges to work on. I was beginning to work up a sweat when we stopped. He then marked a small spot on the tree trunk and taught me how to throw the dagger. I liked this part the best and soon hit the target dead center every time. We then moved on to throwing the dagger while moving and in awkward positions and sighting the target. My range was really limited, and the muscles in my back and shoulder began to ache.

I yawned hugely and said, "I need to sleep. Training tomorrow night?" while climbing back into my room. Bakura didn't follow, instead choosing to stay on the ground and answer from there.

"Same time, your muscles will kill you tomorrow though, so it may be slightly shorter. Practice your stamina and stretch to relieve any knots." He vanished into the shadows and I climbed into bed after changing and brushing my teeth.

POV Yami

We went to a movie, and I was exhausted when I got home. Shit, I forgot to talk to Yugi. I'll just ask him tomorrow morning. He's probably sleeping right now.

Bakura's Guardian Angel-sorry about that one kissing scene! I just couldn't think of a better idea to distract Yami -__- Please continue reading until it really becomes klepto?

Yay! Wow, that was a long chapter. The chapter actually got better and better! Yugi kicks ass. Poor Seto, getting duped by a two-hour old hacker! Marik's going to get a big surprise tomorrow! Stupid Yami, he's forgetting all about the mind link! I'm going to give Malik, Ryou, Pegasus, Otogi, Mai, and Marik bigger roles. Too bad for Yami-tachi…unless they can try and get Yugi back wayyy later! Hmm maybe Pegasus should join up with Yugi and Bakura. R&R please!


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys, I'm back now. Sorry for the sudden hiatus. As I was writing this chapter, my oh-so-very-shallow well of creativity completely dried up. Writing the second half of this chapter was hard, probably because I kept getting stuck with so many descriptions. I know this isn't much, more like a teaser, but I plan on getting back to writing this.

*I have no idea what I'm doing with the Japanese language or names or culture, they are just influenced by all the different fanfics I've read, so please pardon any incorrectness.

**My prose is also starting to change, possibly because of English class or because the tone is starting to really annoy me, BAHAHAHA.

*** PLEASE ENJOY THIS INCOMPETENT ATTEMPT AT WRITING ***

Chapter 5

(morning)

POV Marik

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DISPLAY?" Isis screamed.

"I don't know what happened! I was dutifully patrolling the museum, and when I arrived back at the display, it was replaced with a small golden coin with a symbol of Horus and Set!" Isis was really scary when she was angry.

"HOW COULD YOU LET A PETTY THIEF STEAL IT! YOU, THE ESTEEMED 'TOMB ROBBER'S RIVAL'!"

I slowly backed away, but Isis had me cornered. Her expression was furious, and I could see her brown eyes gain flecks of red. "I don't know! I didn't even sense any presences! This wasn't any petty thief, this was a professional, possibly one of the best in the world!"

She was finally beginning to calm down a tiny bit, but I had a nagging feeling she was just storing it away for later. She asked in a reasonably calm voice, "Do you know what the symbol stands for or what thieves it belongs to?"

"No. But Horus and Set are light and dark. Maybe opposite personalities? These thieves are Middle Eastern, Egyptian, or have a serious obsession with Egypt though. And these coins are really old and rare. I've never heard of thieves with this symbol. They must have been doing small jobs or were completely under the radar."

"We'd better watch out for them then. You are in charge of capturing these thieves. If you fail, you know what will be coming for you," she said menacingly. "I'm warning the other museums."

At my first chance, I dashed for the door and ran to a secluded alley. Isis was probably the only one that could instill fear in me, and this was a deeply kept secret. Imagine, me, the fearless Tomb Keeper's alter ego, the one person that makes Yugi-tachi tremble, is afraid of the Tomb Keeper's older sister! How humiliating! I'd better make preparations for the kidnapping this afternoon. It will cheer me up.

I made my way back to the warehouse on the docks to check all my supplies. After double-checking the materials, I found a bystander and dragged him into the warehouse. I tied him to a post and laughed maniacally. Oh what fun to have a little play toy!

Right as I was about to torture the little toy, I couldn't find my dagger! I quickly patted all my pockets, but it was nowhere to be found! Where the fuck did I put it! I'm positive I had it on me yesterday morning, and I never took it off. Ra damn it, so fucking thief probably lifted it yesterday when I was distracted! How the hell could I get distracted. Now I don't have my trusty dagger to play with my new toy. I rummaged around the warehouse and found a tantō. It wasn't my trusty dagger, but it was still pretty sharp. The toy's eyes had lost some of its fright when I was searching for my dagger, but he began to shake uncontrollably when he saw the tantō.

I gave him a gleeful smile and ran the edge of the blade against his jaw line, carefully nicking his skin. He froze, watching my every movement with fear filled eyes. Running the blade across my tongue, I slowly savored the taste of blood. It was almost perfect, not too metallic but quite tangy. A sadistic smile slowly crept onto my face. This toy would last quite a while. I took the blade and slashed his shirt open. A muscular and not very hairy chest stared back at me.

First to feel the kiss of my blade was the upper right corner. I ran the blade down across diagonally. Surprisingly, the toy wasn't screaming yet. He was simply whimpering **very** loudly. This was really annoying me. The fun couldn't really begin without any screams of pain! I slashed diagonally from the upper left corner very deeply. At last, a piercing scream erupted from the toy's throat. The fun was finally beginning! I laughed maniacally and carved a wadjet on its stomach. It was leaping majestically at a human with a spear, fangs primed and glistening. The toy continued screaming all the while. A pool of blood was beginning to form under its body. A crumbling obelisk went right above the sternum.

I deftly flipped over the toy. Its screams were beginning to weaken, so I had to work quickly. I carefully carved my signature, a giant Anubis, on its back. Because I was using a different knife, the cuts weren't as precise. It really saddened me, and I savagely sliced in compensation. The toy's vertebrae glistened as Anubis's jeweled clothing and eye. The toy had fainted from blood loss, so I quickly bound all of the wounds tightly. My throat was beginning to become raw from cackling so much, but this toy was surely worth it. It broke under my masterful ministrations, even though it resisted a bit in the beginning! The crimson blood began seeping into the dirt ground while I licked the tantō clean. I moved the unconscious toy to the storage corner. It was now time to kidnap the stupid little light. That toy was a great fun.

I gathered all the materials, and while double-checking the bag, I found my dagger! I was put right back into a foul mood. How could I miss it! Playtime would have been much interesting and fun if I had had the dagger! My seething anger would not be good for the light. I grabbed the bag and headed out of the warehouse. Glowering at any who made eye contact, I headed over to the game shop.

POV Yugi

When I woke up this morning, I couldn't move a muscle. Gathering up all my will power, I rolled out of bed and fell onto the ground, groaning when pain erupted along my back. I crawled to the bathroom and turned the hot water on. Slowly peeling off my pajamas, I got into the bath, allowing the scalding water to sooth my muscles. The hot water was really relaxing, and I began nodding off. I was forcefully awakened half an hour later when someone pounded on the door. "Hullo?" I groggily said.

"Yugi? Hurry up and get out of the bathroom. We've got work to do," Seto's voice replied.

"Eurgh. Ooo-kaaaay," I said slowly while yawning hugely. I drained the cold water and took a shower with more hot water. Rummaging in the cabinet, I found a fluffy white bathrobe. When I finally got myself dressed, I glanced at the clock. It was 10 o'clock? Gah! I ran down the stairs as quickly as I could, completely forgetting about my aching body. When I arrived at the dining table, my brain finally acknowledged the pain and I collapsed into a chair. Seto's eyes tracked my path with amused eyes. I feebly glared back at him and began munching on my breakfast. I finished two more helpings before I was finally stuffed. Looking up from my plate, I saw that Seto was still working.

He finished up whatever it was that he was working and gently closed the laptop. He gazed at me for a moment before speaking. "Why can't you walk," he said flatly.

Oh, shoot. What am I going to tell him? I can't just say I was practicing with a dagger. Um, hopefully he'll believe me. "I was exerting myself a little more than normal yesterday," I replied with a hopefully level voice.

He just stared at me for a few seconds before picking up the laptop and walking out the room. "Go get more clothing today. You're in no shape to work," he said over his shoulder.

I got up as he exited and went to get a bag. Getting a bag entailed a slow, painful trek up the stairs, into my room, and back down the stairs. When I finally made my way to the front door, sweat had started to bead on my forehead. A butler stopped me when I tried to open the door. He whispered, "Limo." I turned and followed him to the limo and told the driver to take me to the Kame Game Shop. I was still extremely tired, but we arrived just as I was nodding off. I told the driver to wait 15 minutes and entered the shop.

POV Yami

The ringing bell in the shop interrupted my rare day of quiet. I had just woken up because my friends were too busy to hang out today. I went to see who it was and was very surprised to see a head of hair similar to mine. "Yugi!" I cried enthusiastically while hugging him. I didn't notice that his body was completely stiff in my warm embrace. A minute later, I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed him away a little to get a better look at him. He looked the same except for a slightly odd expression on his face. "What are you doing here? Where have you been?"

He slid from under my hands and walked past me. "I'm getting some clothes and staying at a friend's," he said curtly. I reached out and grabbed his hand, but the physical contact felt really awkward and warm, so I dropped it.

He was leaving, so I had to quickly gather up my courage to ask him the question that had been on my mind since yesterday. "Umm, what was…uh…with yesterday's, um, actions?" I nervously asked. I could feel the heat blooming in my cheeks.

"What," Yugi tersely replied.

"Well, uhh, did you really…umm…have..errr… fe..fee…feelings for me? Because I'm not…uhh… really sure if I feel the same way…" I bit my lip in apprehension, waiting for his answer. My now, my face was beet red, and I couldn't find it in me to continue looking at him. The floor was enticingly sparkly, and I noticed for the first time all the little flecks of irregularities in the tile.

There was a pause as I waited for his reply, not daring to look back up. When the silence began to stretch a tad more than I was comfortable with, I finally looked back up at him for a moment. He simply glared darkly at me and shoved past me. I thought I caught a glimpse of his expression flickering from something before the glare, but that could have been my imagination. I stood there dumbly, watching Yugi's receding back. What did I say? Why did he get even angrier? I don't think I did anything wrong; after all, it was just an honest question stemming from his actions. Right, it couldn't have been me because he was the one who started this "mess". Maybe it was all just a joke to him…noo, that's not possible. Aibou would never play such a cruel prank on me. I should probably ask Anzu about it. She'll know what to make of the situation.

POV Yugi

I could barely contain my laughter as I made my way up to _the_ room. He completely fell for it! And he probably hasn't even noticed the absence of the **real** Puzzle, buckle, or coin! What an obtuse _**pharaoh**_, I thought as I went straight to the dresser, not bothering to look around. Unexpectedly, everything was in its proper place, with nothing rumpled, missing, nor misplaced. Yami normally stole whatever he wanted _whenever_ he wanted. Just by looking at my clothing in the dresser was pissing me off. Quickly stuffing as many outfits into the bag, I sharply turned around to head for the door only to encounter a small cotton cloth stinking of some sort of chemical (chloroform). The effects were nearly instantaneous: my eyelids and limbs became heavy, and I couldn't even get a blurry glimpse of the kidnapper.

A cramped muscle jolted me awake, and I hit my head on the sharp corner of a metal substance. Barely suppressing a cry of pain, I slowly looked around at my surroundings and rubbed the place where I hit my head. Both my legs and hands were tightly bound. I couldn't make out anything in the darkness, but there were some areas where things seemed to loom. My light shuffling made some dust rise, and I couldn't suppress the incoming sneeze. My "achoo!" echoed ominously around the building: its sound waves crazily bouncing around.

A door suddenly opened and allowed some nighttime light to filter in. Nothing in the building was illuminated and only a silhouette could be seen; however, the person could be instantly recognized because of the distinct, jagged, wild hairstyle, even with my blinded eyes. Leaving the door open, he briskly walked over to my area and yanked me towards him. Dragging me some ways away, he yanked on a cord to flood the building with light. I was forced to squint to allow my eyes to adjust to the sudden light. Once my eyes were a bit more accustomed, I glanced around at my surroundings.

I was in a musty warehouse with a low ceiling and only a few boxes occupying "my" corner. Dust was settled everywhere on the ground. There were no windows and only one door, the open one. A small black bag filled with some things was situated next to the place where I was dumped. I was kneeled on dark, dry bloodstains. Above me was a bare bulb hanging low from the ceiling with the on-off cord dangling on the side. After my survey, I looked at my captor, nervously awaiting his next actions.

He slowly paced around me, examining me as if I was a disgusting beetle. My eyes followed his every movement. After making a few rounds, he yanked my head up by my hair and scrutinized my face. Muttering to himself, he peered at me for a few more moments before storming out and slamming the door shut.

I was still tied up, my scalp burning from the pain. Trying to loosen the bonds on my wrists, I simply rubbed my wrists raw. Since I couldn't get my arms to the front, I had to work on my ankle bonds blindly. My coordination was awful, and I couldn't loosen the bonds. I finally gave up when my hands became numb. Making a small moan, I curled up as best I could and tried to rest on the uncomfortable ground. I knew I shouldn't try to hope for rescue from Yami, but it was at a time like this that I really wanted his help.

Okeydokeys, here you go. There will be _something_ coming up in the next chapter (although I have absolutely not an inkling of what it will be). Maybe I should use the other characters more. I actually have this semi-great idea for Yugi and Bakura (involving a Car and a Motorcycle and possible a certain platinum-haired fellow).

Okay, I'll "see you in the morning". MWUAHAHAHAHAHA


	6. Chapter 6

Hi guys :). Just a very quick little update. No idea the quality as compared with the other chapters since I uh…really don't like rereading what I wrote :P. Thanks for the continued support and favorite story/author adding! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint [too too too much]. Special thanks to jtwsnw20 for the private message encouraging me to update! It was my first pm _ever_, so it made me super happy. Any pm would make me super happy though. Mail is amazing stuff. I'm going to have a poll soon, hopefully, if I can figure out how to make one. Just a heads up though, it will be about whether or not I should charge forward and continue writing this fic or take a break and edit the thing before continuing. Enjoy~

Chapter 6

(Very very late at night, not quite early dawn)

POV Bakura

I stealthily went into Yugi's room through the window and tackled the general bed area, but instead of hitting a soft human body, I slammed my head into the wall/bed post corner. "Shit," I quietly muttered. Where is Yugi! If he went into hiding to avoid training…no that's not possible. He was too excited for training. There is no way he'd skip out on such a _fun_ activity, so where the hell is he! Perhaps he went out early to train on his own? I went back out to the training tree, and there was nobody there. It was dead silent.

/Ryou! What are you doing now./

/Ughreubmgleglumulrhg./

Well, Yugi was most certainly not with Ryou. Maybe he went back to the game shop to do something. I should go and che...oh fuck it. If he is skipping out on training, why should I care? I so kindly go out of my way to teach the little bastard and he just goes and skips out? Fine. I'll just go and plan the next heist myself. There is no need to take into account and extra disadvantage. Without Yugi, I will complete this much faster.

"Hey, Yugi? Where are you? Are you busy?" 

"…"

"Yugi! You _can't_ be busy at this time! Answer me!"

"Huh? Yami? Is that you?"

"Finally. Do you know how long I have been waiting for a reply from you?"

"Yami!"

"Good Ra, stop calling my name. Have you seen my boxers with the little pictures of Horus on them? I've been looking for them for _ages_ (really just half a minute), and I really want to show them to Anzu."

"…"

*mindlink cut*

"?. Answer me, Yugi! You better not have taken them just to spite me!"

POV Yugi

I can't believe he just contacted me regarding a pair of boxers! Couldn't he have noticed my plight and wondered what I was doing? I knew I should not have raised any hopes for help from him. Ever since Anzu, there really has basically been nothing but Anzu this, Anzu that. I wonder when I'll find someone that will actually care about me? I care about everyone a lot already! Is it not normal for people that give kindness to receive it from the people they give it to? Especially if they are friends! Or were. If they were friends. When I get out of this mess, I am going to start over. I have my division to watch over and training to undergo. Just you watch, Anzu, Honda, Jonouchi, Yami. A new Yugi will appear before you and you won't even know.

I began rubbing at the ropes again. My wrists, rubbed raw, were beginning to bleed. But I had to continue. The blood would be sticky eventually, but right now it was liquidy enough to help me escape my bonds. Almost there! I could feel my muscles rubbing against the rope, stinging as they were exposed to the rough, unsterile material. Just imagining what was happening to my wrists made me want to vomit. But if I vomit, I would just get it all over myself and make it even harder to escape, for I would have to withstand my own stink. One hand finally slipped out, and the rope fell away. I groped at my ankles in search for the rope and loosened it enough to slip my feet out. Trying to stand, I forgot that my feet and legs were numb from immobility, and I end up falling flat on my face, unable to catch myself because my hands are slow to react due to the pain and numbness. Luckily I hit my forehead first, preserving my nose. I will probably have a beautiful bruise there though. Half crawling and half hobbling over to a wall, I groped along the wall until I found the handle for the door. As I am about to open the door, it swings open, hitting me in the head in the same place that I hit against the ground just earlier. I stumbled and fell backwards onto the ground, hitting the back of my head. As my vision began to fade out, I saw a rectangular angled head look at me from an unimaginable height before finally passing out from the perfume permeating from the person.

POV Pegasus

I thought I parked my car in this warehouse, but why is Yugi-boy here? On the ground no less. I heard he is now head of one of Kaiba-boy's divisions? He could be an asset. Ugh, but he smells so awful! Where did that one henchman go? Oh right. I sent him to search for my car in one of the other warehouses. Seriously. They should have known where I would park. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed one of the many numbers for my henchman. "Heyyylooo. Would you mind in the slightest bit to come over hereeeee and help me with some baggage? Thank you ever so much!"

Three minutes later and he appeared, flustered, probably from running from wherever he was searching back to me. I just *loveeee!* how my henchman are so aware of my wellbeing! I nodded at Yugi-boy lying on the floor. He looked at me. Then at Yugi. Then back to me. I raised on eyebrow. Steeling himself, he went over to Yugi-boy and lifted him over his shoulder. Barely concealing an expression of disgust and annoyance, he walked away.

Just some questions that I hope readers will answer either as a comment or a pm or whatever:

Is the **pretty much** lack of romance bothering anyone? If so, I _can_ add some more or a lot more, depending. Rest assured, this fic isn't going to turn into anything explicit ^_^

How are the character personalities holding up? Too OOC? Too unstable and irregular? Or are they just fine?

R&R~~


	7. Rewrite Notice

Hey guys. I've tried to write the next chapter for New Year's because I wanted it to be a general all-in-one holiday season present to you all, but I got stuck. I've been trying off and on since then to very little avail. I'll post a teaser of what I have for the next chapter, though it might not even be used. I'm planning on rewriting the entire thing because I want to know where I went wrong with my ideas. As far as I can remember, the main plot is but a nearly transparent, squiggly, tangled up thread, and this makes me too sad/confused to figure out how to continue. So my plan is to rewrite what I've got, uploading as I go along (otherwise I really would never upload anything XD), and hopefully you will see more progress in the story. I really do hope to finish this. I had an idea that I really liked, and it would be my first finished long fic! If you wish, let me know what you think of my plan to rewrite, if you think it is worth it or whatever. And let me know what you think of the rewrite once I get it up. And here is the teaser!

POV Pegasus

I finally found my car, hidden among the warehouses cleverly disguised (in reality, it sat at the entrance with a large yellow plastic bag caught on one of the side mirrors). My poor baby, it must have missed me! How dare someone vandalize and hide you (the car)!

POV Yugi

Groaning, I, once again, groggily awoke to strange surroundings. Only instead of a bare warehouse, I found myself in a luxurious, plush bedroom filled with roses and rose-themed items. Everywhere. Though I had been knocked out and transported against my own will again, at least this time was a more comfortable trip. My wrists were moisturized and bandaged, and the rest of me was also clean and bandaged. I wore a reddish-pink pair of fleece pajamas. Well, roses, so I must be in Pegasus's house? I kicked myself out of the bed and stumbled to a door, hoping to find a bathroom but ending up in a closet: a huge closet filled with red suits with a huge portrait of a young, blonde woman in the center of all the clothes—suits. With the identity of the houseowner confirmed, I tried going back the way I came in search of the bathroom. But the entrance had disappeared. Somehow I found myself amidst the racks and rows of suits as opposed to gazing at them from slightly further away. Either I'm losing control of my body, or something weird just happened to the room, and, unfortunately, both options are completely plausible. With no other option aside from sitting down and hoping for rescue, I pressed forwards through the sea of suits.

I tired quickly, for pushing through masses of suits is hard work. I decided to rest for a moment, my entire body aching both from the abuse and the exertion. I must have fallen asleep during my rest, because the next moment, my eyes flew open to find my face buried in one of the red suits. Only the suit was warm and a rhythmic sound pulsated throughout. Surprised, I scrambled up, pushing against the suit, surprised (again) that there was quite a bit of resistance, I crashed backwards, banging my head on the ground – the soft, plushy, carpeted ground. I bit my lip but whimpered loudly enough for it to be useless as sharp pains shot through my body, and my head pounded, pressure pushing against my eyes. Pushing against the suit had strained my wrists, stretching and then quickly contracting the raw skin. While lying on the ground with my eyes scrunched in pain, I felt a shadow fall over my face.

"Hey kid," a gruff voice sounded, probably belonging to the shadow over me. "What do you think you're doing with such disrespectful actions towards Pegasus-sama?"

Suddenly I was roughly whisked into the air. Whimpering louder as the sudden movement caused the headache to worsen, I feebly kicked out and connected with air.

Pegasus cleared his throat pointedly. I was placed gently on the ground, though my feet could not support my weight, so I collapsed anyways. Giving up on trying to understand the situation I was in, I closed my eyes and promptly fell asleep.

When I next awoke, I smelled the scent of eggs frying and buttered toast.

Guess what movie I watched right before I wrote this section? Write it down somewhere and comment what you thought! I shall post the answer many lines below, so don't scroll down until you've guessed! That is, if you feel like guessing. Otherwise just go ahead and scroll. Or not. There won't be anything after this little text passage and whitespace except for the answer.

P

A

P

R

I

K

A


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